Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-10
almost see through it.

almost see thrOugn it.
"This," he said, sis what Is known as
ginseng--a root that has been celebrated
for hundreds Of years. Formerly Il was
grown in the Chinese empire, but now
the great supply comes from the United
States, where the product is half mil
lion pounds every year. Some Of II is
found in the mountains OF West Vir-
ginia, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas.
Ohio, Indiana and Minnesota furnish
some, and little Of 1t we find around
this lake. A great deal used to be found
in New England, just across the lake.
More than 100 years ago the Rev. Dr.
Jonathan Edwards wrote a letter to the
effect that the root had been found In
the woods near Stockbridge and in other
places in New England, as well as in the
country of the Six Nations. The traders
in Albany have been eager to purchase
all they could get of the root TO send 10
England, where they make great profit
by it. This has occasioned our Indians
Of all sorts, young and old, TO
spend abundance OF time in the
woods, and sometimes to great
distance, in the neglect of public
worship and their husbandry, and
also in going much TO Albany to sell
their roots, which proves worse 10
them than going into the woods, where
they are always much in the way OF
temptation and drunkenness. The
plant has smooth round stem about
foot high, which divides at the top into
three stalks for leaves. The flowers are
small and greenish and the fruit is a scar
let berry. You will see by this root,
which is fair specimen, that 1t is spin
die shaped, from one to three inches
long, about ms thick as the little finger,
and terminated by several slender fibers.
When dried the root is yellowish white
and wrinkled externally, and within con-
sists of n hard central portion surrounded
by soft whitish bark. 1t has n feeble
odor, and a sweet taste somewhat like
that of licorice root. You will never
find il on cleared land unless it is shaded;
and You will never find IL except in rich
soil The root gathered in the spring is
worth very little because it is full Of
water
"In preparing crude ginseng II Is only
necessary to wash the root thoroughly
and so dry il, either in the shade or sun.
1t is never dried by fire because of the
danger of burning. Once scorchcd 1t
has no value whatever. The clarified
ginseng is generally prepared in build
ing erected for the purpose. The green
roots are shipped to the city works,
where they arc washed by machinery.
This is followed by a process of steam
ing, and then the roots are placed in
drers. These driers are wooden frames,
covered with canvas or wire netting, all
Of one size, so that they can be packed
closely together. The ginseng il spread
on these dricrs, and they are placed in
the dry room, which is heated TO a tenn
perature of l;0 degrees. Tho crude gin
seng Is white, the clarified straw color,
But do not take all of this trouble. !
only dig the roots and dry them. DO
you see this little grub hoe!"
] looked Mt the man more closely than
had before and saw that the crown of
his black felt hat was u piece Of cloth
sewed ON with rude stitches, and when
he handed me his little hoe ] said, at
strikes me that you have been in some
pretty rough places with this hoe and
that hat"
81 should think ! had. It's all man
can do To get into some of the places
where have to get. wear out three
or four of these patent tops to my hats
every week No one is round to sew
them on and Bo have to sew them on
mys,lf "