The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-05
THE DAILY STAR
ROOTS AND HERBS.
What a Kentucky "Yarb" Gath
erer Told a Reporter.
The Trade In Roots and Herbs. and the
Uses to Which They Are Put.

"Whoa-epl Here l am again, with an
other load of yer medercine stuff" bawled
ont long, lean, lank Kentnckian the other
day, as he pulled up his team in front OF
one of our large drug manufactures. II
want all the money yer got in yer store
this time fur this yer load of roots" said
be to the proprietor, as the latter stepped
out on the sidewalk. What have you
got?" asked the drug man. "0h, lot OF
sang, wahoo and may-apple root" replied
the Kentuckian. as he commenced throw
ing off sack after sack of the valuable load.
A STAR reporter happened to be passing at
the time, and overheard the conversation.
He stopped and inquired of the man from
''over the river" what he expected to get
for his load. Somewhere in the neighbor-
hood If about hundred an fifty" replied
he. 'It takes you about half your life
time to get a load like that, don't itT'
asked our young man. Now, look here:
young man, are We kiddin', or have We
never bin out IN the country any2 Do We
s'pose I'd getNer roots half my natural lie
fur hundred an fiftyr'
The reporter didn't suppose he would. but
still he was under the impression It must
take long while to gather together as
large quantity of roots as he had in his
wagon.
"What do YOU get for different kinds OF
ronts?" asked the reporter.
.'Sav, Young man, want ter git this yer
wagon onloaded some to-day, an ye'd
obleege me by not botherin' me no more at
present. If yell go over in that er tavern
across the road an wait thar about twenty
minutes fur me, I'll be thar, an will an
swer any question We want to AK me-
The reporter went, and in the appointed
time was met bv The man from Kentucky,
who. as he entered the saloon tucked large
roll of bank-notes down his pants pocket.
He sat down at table opposite the re-
porter, and in answer to the latter's qGes
tons as to what kind OF roots he brought to
market and the price he got for them, he
gave the information desired about as fol-
lows: -
Roots amt nigh so plentiful as they
used to be. know the time when could
gather wagon-load like just fetched in
in dav, but now it takes considerable
longer than that, an then prices are not
nigh so good rs they have bin. There's
sang (gnseng), that used ter git 81 30 a
pound fur, only brings me 81 pound now.
and thet's fur the very best. What is 1t
used fur? Why, the biggest part of 1t
goes to China, to purify queensware with.
Sang won't bear cultivation at all. 1t has
seed every year. A curious thing about
sang is that cows wont tech it. They'll
eat weeds off all round it, but they let the
sang alone. Sang is mighty scarce. bring
in considerable Indian arrow or wahoe
root. There's big demand fur it, bnt stll
/ can't git over 10 cents pound fur 1t
That's the stuff they make ager medicine
of. It's the best ager cure known.
Then there's May apple root. 1t onl,
brings cents a pound. That's what vel
Mandrake pills is made of. The roots is
ground up into tionr and rolled intel
bills. I've fetched in enough May apples
this fall tel. keep the United States SUPPLIED
with pills Fur the next ten years.
'Prickiy ash | also bring in. 1t amt
yer, plentiful. The root brings IL cents
while fur the tree-bark i only git 6 cents q
pound. 1t is used in maxim medicine ful
the rheumatism. H.
"Sarsaparila root is used in maxim bloof
purifier. 1t is tolerable plentiful and il
worth cents pound.
"Burdock root is used for the same pur
pose that sarsaparilla root is. 1t only bring
cents a pound,
Then there's elecampane root. 1t i
used in syrups fur the consumption. It,
mighty scarce, though, an fetehes 10 cent
pound.
Waller root, which is also known a
Golden Seal is scarce article. nowadays
It's worth cents pound. 1t is used flu
makiu' was les fur sore eyes an mouth.
..Burwane root is also used in maxim age
medicine Its hard to git and brings cent
pound. ,,.
but the price on it amt very high. Some
times it brings as high as 3 and cent.
That's what yer physioin' pills is mad
of Jist bile it ,wn till it gets thick, lik
a paste, and then roll it into yer pills.
is also used fur dyeing purposes.
"Hoarhound is an herb, an is used il
maxim cough syrup. 1t brinss cents
pound, although it is plentiful. Som
Iaces it grows so thick yer can NOV
with scythe. Don't take no time to git
hundred pounds of it. ....-
''Another herb is lobelia, and | git
cents pound fur it, but the price is fal
ing. Lobelia is what ipecac is made Of
yer ever want to git rid of what's inside {
yer, fist make tea of lobelia leaves. all
I'll bet my team of hosses out there it'll a,
commodate yer.
lOTROJ W upll yer luHHy bnlnS dDOt
gatherin' butternut bark. If yer peel til
bark down it'll physic yer when made inte
pills, but If You peel it up it'll vomt ye
sure as Pm sittin' at this table,
II l.rought in good many Indian tprnir
this fall and got s cents pound fur 'en
They are used in cough medicines.
"Silkweed root is used in ager medicine
but it is scarce in my part Of the coul
try. 1t is worth ten cents pound. Pei
@nyroyal and peppermint brings ten cen
pound, but when dry it takes heap t
make pound. The oil Of pennyroyal
extracted in still. The Shakers up hel
in Warren County, Ohio, have reguls
stills for making the extracts. There a.
agood many kinds of bark used. There
white oak bark. best thing in the world [
check the. bowels, where it is made into
syrup. Yellow poplar bark used with will
cherry bark, prickly ash, dogwood bar
and wahoo is good for the consumption
know a man that had the consumptio
for six years that it cured. Slippery ell
bark is ground up and used for poultce
Good to take out fever. ITS worth te
cents a pound. ui
Then there's elder bark. Take it, bee
wax, mutton taller and leetle rosin and
n,akaa tlo. hast Lind of a sa1va far fras