The pleasure of being out in the refreshing green forest is what tempts a few diggers to start early. This digger had only taken a couple of plants. Dad says, digging in the summer before seed ripen is not as bad as the practice of a few diggers who take every small, young plant leaving nothing for the future. The State Ginseng Office is part of the Department of Agriculture. Buyers are required to keep records.
Diggers sign a statement at the point of sale, that legal practices are followed in harvesting.
Kentucky law also specifies when a seed-bearing plant is harvested, the seed must be replanted nearby using no implement other than a finger poked into the soil. Hunting Seng is an art. The magic is in the search and discovery. Although I know these woods quite well, for this visiting digger the woods was a new place to explore. A place to look for possible hidden treasure.