Interest in the possibility of deriving profit from the growing of drug
plants is increasing yearly. The clearing of forests, the extension of
the areas of land under tillage, and the activities of drug collectors
threaten the extermination of a number of valuable native drug plants.
Annually, large sums of money are expended for crude drugs imported
from countries where they are grown under conditions of soil and
climate resembling those of many localities in the United States.
As a means of guaranteeing the future supply of crude drugs and of
lessening the dependence on importations, attention is now being turned
to the cultivation of drug plants with a view to increasing domestic
production.
The problems presented by the cultivation of drug plants are not less
difficult than those encountered in the production of many other
crops. Drug plants are subject to the same diseases and risks as other
crops and are similarly affected by variations in soil and climatic
conditions. They require a considerable outlay of labor, the same as
other crops, and likewise require intelligent care and handling. They
are subject to the same laws of supply and demand, and, like other
products, must conform to the consumer's fancy and to definite trade
requirements.
A number of common medicinal plants have long been cultivated in
gardens in this country, either as ornamentals or as a source of herbs
used in cookery and as domestic remedies. A few of these plants, such
as goldenseal, wormwood, wormseed, and peppermint, have been grown
commercially for sale as crude drugs; but the acreage devoted to their
production has been relatively small and for the most part restricted
to certain localities. Other drug plants which occur as common weeds in
many places may prove to respond to cultivation; experiments should
then be undertaken to determine whether it is profitable to grow them.
In this connection it should be remembered that the soil type very
often is an important limiting factor in propagating different kinds
of plants. Some plants grow best in well-drained loam, some prefer a
marsh, some require soils rich in lime, while others thrive only in
acid soil. The soil requirements of all plants are not understood;
in fact it is not improbable that better comprehension of the soil,
climatic, and cultural conditions adapted to the different kinds of
plants will enable the successful propagation of species now regarded
as unsuited to cultivation. In undertaking the growing of medicinal
plants, therefore, it is essential to know that the species selected
for cultivation will do well under the conditions of soil and climate
existing where the planting is to be made. When necessary, this should
be determined on small experimental plats before undertaking commercial
plantings.
Assuming that the soil and climate of the situation selected are
suitable for the growing of drug plants, it does not necessarily follow
that they can be produced at a profit. The cost of production and
marketing may be greater than the amount received for the crop when it
is sold. Some drug plants not well suited for cultivation on a large
scale may be found profitable when grown on small areas as a side line.
On the other hand, some may be produced more cheaply when cultivated on
a scale large enough to warrant the use of labor-saving devices than
when grown on small areas with the aid of hand labor alone. The value
of land, the cost and availability of labor, and the possible returns
from other crops are all factors to be considered carefully. On account
of the variation in these factors according to locality, the same
crop might prove to be profitable in one location and unprofitable in
another. It is for these reasons that unqualified statements concerning
the ease and profitableness of drug plant growing should not be taken
too seriously.