Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-05-05
THE GINSENG HABIT.
The Conntry's Yield of the Famous Root
Has Greatly Diminished.

Has Greatly Diminished
The ginseng industry of this coun.
try is steadily decreasing, although
the demand for that peculiar root in
China is apparently as great as ever,
says the New York Times. Dealers
in ginseng who have kept themselves
posted in the course of that traffic
for several years say that since 1884
there has been a constant diminution
in the production of Chat root in the
United States and Canada.
There are evidences of a process of
gradual extermination of the root
The principal fields OF its growth
have been oyerworked. No oppor-
tunity has been given them to recu-
perate, and sections of the country
where ginseng has been produced
most abundantly show signs ofstunted
growth.
To the Chinaman ginseng isscarcely
less sacred than his joss 1t is TO
| him the most potent of charms, as
well as cureall for physical and
mental ailments He chews 1T and
drinks it as tea. Medical author
titles the world over deny that the
ginseng root possesses any especially
medicinal value But the Chinese
with their habltual loyalty to their
traditions, have held firmly to GIN
Seng worship for 500 years.
The expectation Of ginseng from
this country for the twenty years
prior to 1884 averaged 400, 600 pounds
a year. Since 1884 the yearly average
OF shipments has not exceeded 275, :
900 pounds. The price ia the local
markets has advanced, however. A
generation or so ago, when trappers
and farmers were wont. TO collect tho
root wherever they could tiI.d itane,
,esssr,I sH : eqGies q gurrencs"','a A-
store its value rary's. Anne Arun-
cents a pound. .N6rrels and in l.8
from $3.50 to S4 po,
In China it is sold fo wish TO or
fancy prices being chargrshall have
among the more ignoIGO
The ''gilt-edged" ginsens Md.
grown in Corea and Mantul4-
sells in China and Japan for s.,
$500 a pound. This precious
credited by the Chinese with a.
supernatural powers as physical
nerve restorative.
Ginseng is found in all parts
this country east of the Rock Mount,
aims. 1t has always been particularly
nj Il In rl, in = bo,E
ern States. For many years, as an
industry, 1t went haHl in hand with
the fur business. Trappers dug gin
seng roots in the periods when the
fur business was dull, and it became
common practice with fur dealers
to alternate the two traffics as the
seasons changed. Throughout the
Southern States considerable pro-
portion of the poorer white people
are known by no other name than
''seng dealers.
The root is found in largest quanti-
ties in hardwood timber 1t has one
stem with three branches, each branch
containing five large, light-green,
thin leaves The flower is at first a
ligh1.green, succeeded by a bunch OF
red berries Until these berries have
disappeared the roots should not be
dug, as the sap then goes back into
the roots, making them heavier and
consequently more valuable. The
ginseng root after being we'll dried,
is ready for the market. 1t is mildly
aromatic to the taste and bears a
slight resemb ance in quality to sweet
flag
The cultivation Of ginseng has not
been extensively followed in this
country. The only Chinese ginseng
farm known here is the one estab-
lished at Summit Station, Onondaga
County, this State, by George Stanton.
That farm was started as an expert
ment in 1886, and in 1890 Mr.. Stan.
ton set out about six thousand roots
and sowed about ten thousand seeds
He paid as high as Sl.l5 for green
seed to transplant,
T. A. Bronson of "a Cedar street,
is the principal dealer in ginseng in
this city He has been in the buSi-
ness a great many years and has
handled an immense quantity Of the
root. When he entered the business
ginseng could be bought for 35 cents
a pound. Soon the price rose to 80
cents, and from that point it grad
ually advanced to 81 so and SO, SO.
This increase in price is due partly
to the Jealous efforts of Chinese agents
who travelled through the country
and bid above the market price for
ginseng, in order to get it in advance
of the city dealers. Some years ago
there were few central points where
ginseng was dealt in in large quanti-
ties. Competition has divided and
distributed the traffic In 1882
Mr.. Bronson used to buy from 25, 900
to 80, 600 pounds of ginseng in one
place, Now if any one person gets
together 1000 or 5000 pounds of the
root he is doing pretty well,
--<AEDnn---