The Progress., 1898-05-07
CULTIVATION OF GINSENG.
This Requires Special Conditions and Gaze
full Attention 10 "Details.

dulged Ill about ginseng culture, and
immense profits figured out for those
who undertake it on a large scale. AS to
this latter point, writer III Farm and
Preside states that the exports from the
United States have not yet reached
81 900, 600, though commonly reported
at five times that amount, and that a
successful cultivator Of ginseng in Amer
lea declares cultivation upon an extern
sive scale to be we'll nigh impossible.
He has been growing this root with
profit for more than a decade, yet his
whole plantation is less than an acre.
Despite all this the writer alluded to
believes that in proper hands the cult
vation Of this root is likely to be profit
able, and he therefore gives ii few points
suggestive Of the attention it demands:
III the first place, the seed must be is
months old before it will sprout. In
other words, seed ripened in the autumn
of 1898 will not terminate until the
spring Of 1900. This popularity in
wolves special care in storing. or in pro-
tecting it if planted, because if once al
lowed to become dry it is ruined and
will not grow.
The soil must be like the mold Of the
woods-light, loose, retentive of mois-
ture--in fact, it is better to grow the
plants in the forest where these condi-
tons prevail. If this be done, they may
be stolen by sang diggers. The plants
must be provided with shade if grown
in the garden, else they may die from
sun scald or from the drying out of the
soil. The beds, especially the Seeding
plots, must be kept clean All wedding
must be done with the fingers, since
ginseng will not tolerate the use of tools.
The seedlings must be transplanted at
one year old to permanent beds, where
the same shading and hand wedding
must be continued for four years--often
more. During this time no money is
earned except the last year. or perhaps
two, when the few scattering seeds up
on occasional extra strong plants may
bring in few cents even at the present
price Of 81 an ounce. When the harvest
comes in the fifth or sixth year from the
seed-sometimes the fOurth-the opera
ton of digging, washing and curing de-
nIands special care, since the breakage Of
roots means q lessening in the price OBJ
tanned.
The prospective grower may start by
using the plants found in the woods,
both by saving and planting the seed
obtained from them and by transplant
ing the old roots.
Trade Values of Fertilizer Ingredients.
For the benefit Of farmers who are
studying the fertilizer question the New
Hampshire college station furnishes the
following table of trade values of fer
tilizing ingredients in raw materials
and chemicals:
Cents peY pound.
Nitrogen in ammonia salts 1873
Nitrogen in nitrates. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. IA
Nitrogen in dry and fine ground fish, meat
and blood and in high grade mixed fer
tlllZerS ........ A
Nitrogen in cottonseed meal, linseed meal
and castor pomace ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ~ =
Nitrogen in fine ground bone and tankage 1870
Nitrogen in medium ground bone and
tnnkape........ OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. II
Nitrogen In coarse bone and tankage.
Phosphoric acid soluble in water .......... 90
Phosphoric acid soluble in ammonium cit
rate (reverted). Observation-Disclosures.
Phosphoric acid in fine ground bone and
to,,l,o