The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-14
THE GINSENG ROOT,
A Peculiar West Virginia Industry n,
Value to Wheeling.

~ fccullhr Ncst virginia Industry NJ
Value to Wheeling.
A unique West Virginia industry b Ma
digging and drying OF ginseng FOOT q,
Sang" Little is known OF this ION. i,
the public except that its copmortI
value arises from the demand for Il In
China. The word giuaeng H. probably
Chinese, and signifies Resemblance TO !,
man or mans thigh. In tie language Of
the Iroquois Indians the root h called
garent que", which signifies legs and Thigh,
separated. Others state that it is from
the Chinese word ginseng, meaning frs.
Of plants, as 1t puts forth early in The
spring. The sclentlGc name Of The pIt,
geng OF commerce ia Panar guiayIe fEun.
The dry root Ia OF yellowish white
color with mucilaginous sweetness in
the taste, somewhat resembling lha. o!
llCorice, accompanied by q slight aromatic
bitterness. The plant Is indigenous only
In rich mountain Cove8 and snevVr iluld
growing In poor land. In this country Il
Ia found In the mountains oil Eastern
Tennessee, the river counties Of Ohio in
the mountains OF Western North Carolina,
in small quantities in Western pepnsy.
vania and Maryland, and in nearly every
portion OF this State. The annual crop
exported averages from 100000 to7jO,.
600 pounds, and OF this amount over
one.fourth is dug In West Virginia, and
as the average price paid here 10 Il 70 per
pound, II can be easily seen that ginsang
Is not staple of inconsiderable import.
ance. The plant Is also found in the
mountains Of China, Japan and In Coles
The Corean product Is especially prlsd
by the Chinese, why, no ono knows,
A dealer says: "The best ginseng il
grown right here in tho Panhandle. W.
also get about the same quality from tho
river counties between here aud parkera
burg and from the counties opposite in
Ohio. Some Of tho finest specimens !
ever saw came from near OlaringtOn
The poorest comes from the interior, ROta.
bly, Braxton and the counties surrounding
It. Out in the far interior, there are peo.
pie who make business every BgasOn Of
hunting for and digging 'seng, and theyso
work the soil that 1t becomes exhausted.
That Cotton here In the Panhandle Il bet.
ter because II is not sought after 80 eager.
ly, and therefore has an opportunity to
grow to some aiEe, and, as told you, tb9
larger q root Ia and the more its shape fe'
sembleH that oil man, the more value it
has"
September Is the month In which most
OF 1t Ia dug, yet any time from that until
spring It can DO dug, but September hR
the preference among digge'B Tor two
reasons: First, because It's seedO then
turn red and are ripe, and tho whole plant
Is considered TO have reached itsperiect
state Of annual maturity. SeCon5, the
leaves OF the plant are then bright yel-
low, and as the plant grows very low
these bright coloTs seen In the dark re-
cesses Of the wild, damp places in which
1t Ia found, among other vines and Wild
growth, enable tho digger to pick isouL
Then, too, after the plant is delOliatDd,
unless the exact place where Il grew IS
known, II can be definitely located only
by digging until II Ia found. After being
dug 1t should be carefully washed for 10
worth 10 the trade depends in part on It's
being clean.
Ginseng is divided into two classes,
clarified and crude. The former 10 rem
dered translucent by steRminr, ssinniE5g
and drying the fresh roots. Crndci 70 the
natural dried root, which II good will slap
when broken. The older the roof, tue
more its shape resembles that Of a hunal
and the more valuable 1t becomes. Ole
monster root weighing about three pounds
sold In China not many years ago lott
1880 In gold. Ginseng pulyeriz1d and
mixed with young deorB horns pills IS
considered cure.all. Tho faith in gibsong
is said 10 be universal In the empire and
oil use II from the highest mandihn y
the lowest CoollO. The native or imperial
root ranges In price from $40 10 $50 ana
what Ia not used by His Highneta
quickly bought up by the wealthy Cssia
Of Pekin. The Oorean article 10 markets
BILE at from SIS 10 $35 per pound, aud lls
American from 50 10 $40. The inVIglfE-
Ing power Of the old wild Is believed u
by the Chinese II used Just ~ q person "
In about the last stages, but per tonula;
they say the result Is likely to be IStsl f"
taken by o person In good health,
There atetwo firms In Wheeling eogsgel
In purchasing ginseng on an eItg,9Syop
scale, Hotkhelhier Bros. and y, H2fh'
heltneH 4 Bon. The latter firm was eB!Gn-
llshed In 1913, and claims to DO Tue ohy
firm with one exception west oil thy Anv,
gheniea which has direct CommhncauOn
with the Hong Kong markets, having ei
ported direct S34, AL worth oil lhe fVV.
last year and about $4,000 worth Dr. lar
this year. About sos, 900 worth u aug 10
West Virginia annually, most 81 which"
handled here.