The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-01
WEALTH OF THE FORESTS.
How Farmers Can Employ Their Children
i'm Vacation.


by the Madison Correspondent OF the Sentinel
About Il year ago the Sentinel, as well AZ
some other papers, mentioned the fact that a
firm in Madison, Id, was buying jimson
and >unflOwcr seed which suggested the idea
i'm your correspondent mind that he could
give you an item that would be worth thou
sands of dollars to the farmers of Indiana,
and gladden. with pleasant anticipations the
hearts of your agricultural readers. This
firm purchase all kinds of roots, flowers and
seeds. IL il il new kind Of business i'm this
part of the country, although for years back
there has been Il sale for ginseng. which by
the way has no medicinal qualities and Is
not used in this country, but shipped Ia
China. where the celestials have different
uses for it. recent item from Hong Kong,
says ginseng root, shaped like II mummy,
with head and arms, brought $3.50 and was
bought by a rich and superstitious Mongol-
ian. who believes that it keeps evil away from
his door. Such shaped roots are scarce yet
they are found. Yellow root or golden seal
has also been staple article of commerce
for years, i'm the mountainous counties of
Virginia and Kentucky; people trade it
i'm at the country stores the same
a. i'm butter and eggs; but this firm
purchase such roots a. Poke, Mayapple Bur
dock. yellow Dock. Elecampane Blood or
Red Puccoon Dandelion, Indian Turnip and
hundreds of other kinds of roots which grow
wild on almost every farm. besides such
banks IL Sas>afraS, WahOO or Indian Arrow,
Elm and Black Haw; also. Elder flowers, red
Glover tops and different seeds, i'm fact almost
every herb can be turned into money if
handled right. For the protection of their
customers they have printed price lists OF all
the kinds they purchase, also instructions To
prepare them for market About three years
ago when the crops failed, the cold blasts of
winter came and found many a farmer in
jefferson County with an empty corn crib
and depleted pOcket-bOok, this firm came
into good place, although the tops of the roots
had died. They found the woods full of
WahOO or Indian Arrow bushes. this they
dug up and peeled the bark off the tree, also
OFF the roots and the fine roots and iibres also
were bought, thus the whole tree was
utilized Over 5000 was paid out that
winter for that one article alone. When
one looks into this matter and thinks
of the vast wealth hidden in the
woods, which with little labor could be
gotten out he thinks there is no necessity OF
there being any unemployed people. The
farmers hoy can earn his spending
money, and enough money in summer to
| purchase his winter clothing. Some people
| have prejudice against root digging and
| think il is only carried on 10y poor farmers,
| therefore il would be lowering their dignity.
| This is mistake. Should a farmer, just be-
4 cause he has an abundant supply of the
1 worldly goods, throw away such valuable
| plants as are found in clearing up new
| ground? The Unison leaves, which have
| such delicious odor, that people are glad la
| see them hundreds of miles away, bring
| when dry two or three cents per pound.
Since this industry has started, we know OF
/ one farmer at least, who earned enough az
| root digging To build himself home Al.
/ though a limited amount of roots are bought
i'm all large cities there are very few houses
| in lhe country that, like this, purchase any
/ quantity of roots. They purchase from
dealers i'm large cities. and not like them
/ quit WREN the market i gluttcd, but buy on
| and store it up. Their goods have found q
| sale in European markets. The name of the
| firm is Sulzu Brothers, and the Sentinel cor
4 respondent like the Sentinel itself. a friend
| of the people, advises the unemployed in
| every village to send for price list, which i:
4 given gPatuitOusly.