The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-08-06
Ginseng and its Uses,

What is known as ginseng in this
country and in Canada is properly
termed the Panax Trifolium, and is a
species of the dwarf ground nut,
which in Asia, and especially in China.
attains a very large size. Ginseng is
very highly priced by the medical fra
ternity of China for its stimulating and
aphrodisiac qualities. The ginseng of
American commerce is to be found in
almost all the heavily timbered lands of
America, except where 1t has been ex-
terminated by the hunters. This is gen.
orally the case in all the states east of
the Mississippi river. It does not long
flourish in the presence of civilization,
but is ruthlessly digged up by the boys
and girls, dried and sold to the nearest
village or cross roads dealer.
Perhaps the heaviest trade ever done
in ginseng in this country was from the
year 1915 to 1880 when men made bus
mess of digging it in the western for
e3ts. At that time the root when dried
commanded from 1.50 to So so per
pound, and full grown men found it
profitable to go beyond the confines of
civilization, and by working some three
months during the season when it was
dug, secure one or two hundred pounds
of the dried root, realizing from 5000
to S400 for their labor. OF course these
ginseng hunters supported themselves
with their rifles and sold their ginseng
at the nearest trading stations.
In fact, at the period we have men,
toned the ginseng trade was rival of
the fur trade. At the beginning of the
present century John Jacob Astor united
the two, and very large portion of his
wealth arose from his ginseng trade with
China. In several other instances we
have known of collOsal fortunes being
built up from this trade. The Chinese
always paid immense prices for If. for
although it was inferior to the native
article, it was the best substitute that
could be found. In times of great
scarcity, we are told, that it was the
habit in China to fix tbe price of the
dried ginseng root at its weight in gold
At such figures, it is easy to see how
immense fortunes could be made.
The medical fraternity as we'll as arti-
sans and others, no doubt use it for
many other purposes than those already
named. After being prepared it is said
to be equal to opium for chewing and
smoking, and is much sought after by
the dissipated opium eaters and smokers.
1t is also burned as an incense IN their
temples and joss houses, and prepara-
tlOn of it is used in colOrlng and glazing
china ware, etc. But rs we have said, in
this county the medical fraternity at
tach but little Importance to it, and
though frequently prescribed, it is only
in particular cases, and is not regarded
as having any extraordinary virtues.
But whatever may be its virtues, and
whatever want it may supply IN the Ce-
lestlal empire, the supply is doomed to
an carly extinction. Outside of the
mountain regions in the middle states,
it is rare thing to find specimens. A
new impetus for its destruction is ex-
tant. For the last two or three years the
price has been high; as much as 81. 30
and $500 per pound, we believe, in To-
callties. The result is that it is being
rapidly hunted to death. One cause of
its destruction is that it is dug early in
the summer and the seed does not ripen
until autumn. In this way it is pre-
vented from reproducing itself like or
diuary plants, for if it is rot dug until
the seed ripens the root is utterly
worthless.
Ginseng is of slow growth, as it takes
three or four years before it bears seed
or produces q root one inch in circum-
ference. But with its present high price
it is dug at every stage, and each year
the product being smaller and smaller,
the price is kept up or advanced, so
that the practical destruction of the
plant is only a question of time. 1t
takes ten pounds of the green root to
make one pound dry, and merchants are
often deceived by having other roots,
such as dock, young poplar, colombo
and young parsnips, put of on them
] Pitt263irg Post.