The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-18
COREAy GINSENG FARMS.
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1nt ~ hna 80 frivei - pamphlet ~ ,nro"u
rlparus from " y ,len. tho tn't'd states
Minister ~ Seoul T. shows tb,i 'n" ,uluv1.
uur ~ gu.cus iu Cote, IL 81 NOR" imp,r't r'"
'N'u IN thi- country. although iw"r,in "'-
ports up g. tIo n"r n'ing u. '|" iI.'uth1nce'in
,hiut amounted tu r'pu' si.cUn 0"i u yoIr
Nrr. huH lo,p IruioI ~ Iur - nhpu'
'No 'l.',tUipn of gins' - Ir 40 { n.t"d state
rud the oNpprti''0n ~ rJac'ir.1v the cr'ir"
crop 80 china trn-'. have l"rn mad" 10
encourage tho planting ~ Etna"ug nnd thev
have met with sumc succrsa. hlt Tho ',ue ana
iaticno" required I'm the Tu'k are such ~ 4"
dlanuurls" 'he uvr-1go ,uerc1n rnSioua
for quick returns Most ~ ,n" crop gathered
IN this country yrows wild IN ne woods ~
Tennessee. West Virginia and Sow lorh state.
and whiic ~" value ~ Tho crop hrs increased
foIr ni'rr year. the production hDs been stead
iy decreasing Notwitlst1ndlug the incre1s"
~ price, the American ginseng ~ vastly cheaper
than tho ,prcon product. n $50 the customs
auIhoritlcs of China rated American ginseng
Us worth only 81 50 a pound, wh"reos 'ho Corean
article averaged "a hish ~ $40 81 a pound.
There IL a marked difference between the
American aud IA. Corean root. The American
ginseng il made up largely Of fbrous roots
called beard. while the tOre1n Is moro com
pRct. There is also said 70 he a marked dif-
ference In the effect produced bv the two,
American ginseng Is considered by Coroans
TO be inert a compared with the Corean root.
So far IL American medical authorities have
been able to determine, ginseng has mono OF
the marvellous curative properties which tho
COreans and Chinese assign tot. 1t Is possible
that the torean root possesses properties
which are not apparent in the American. 1t Is
regarded by the Chinese rs astrong aDhrodisiao
and IL used in the treatment Of the various
malarial fevers Of the Orient, II ia also used
as n general tonic. being brewed into n tea
which il very commonly drunk. Owing 10
tho high price OF the Core1n root In almost
ell the Chinese stores. II IL found mixed with
the American root in order to cheanen II.
There ara two kind' OF ginseng in Corea,
ore "a tho wild and the other the cultivated Tho
Wild {. u much the graater value, the CoreanS
believing that 1t posses 7es almost magic'l
rro0ortie'. Tho Coreln n1mo for ginseng
IL sam. They use it with tho pre1Sss in"
which means man. and san" which means
mo'ntoir. In order to Distinguish tie variety
cultivated bv man from that found growing
wild in n, mountains, Sln-aam is extremely
rnra and Ia said to he worth its weight In gold
This kind OF gin, en.. is sold bv the single root
and there are nl-qutheYtc1tod casss where
nerrl" 8? on has h,cn Naid for an especially
fne specimen. TIE Mid root il much larger
than the cultivated, ranging from n foot 10
four fact In Length THO srecial virtues or
san-san are not sun ped 20 ia In the material
COM o ition Of the plant. but 70 he due 10 the
fact that Il l. prodrc-d wholly apart from mans
Influence and under the care Of some good
spirit. True san-sam is supposed never to
have been senn hv anv man until found and
dug ur. II ia possible bv using the seed Of
the wild root 70 grow ginseng Of almost the
same character as san-san. but an EFFORT to
sell it "a the real wild article "a looked upon as
a swindle. and EXPERTS boast hat thcy are able
n tell tho difference between the two.
Especially fine specimens OF san-sam are
Invariably kent for the use Of the Rovol family,
ln-sarn. or tho cultivated root. Is produced
in larg, quantities in Corea, but in a very re-
stricted area. Most Of il comes from tho i'm
mediate vicinity Of the city of Song-do. The
majority Of the farms are within plain sight
Of the city and cover an area not more than
eight nile, in diameter. As the production
Of the root IA q Government MONOPOLY, the
farms are kept In a condition strlkinglv SUI
perior 20 the properties of the Coreans not so
engaged. Each farm Is n rectang ular com
pound, one part containing the buildings in
closed by a wall. the rest being surrounded bv
hedge. In each compound are one or more
tall little watch towers from which n lookout
is kept to prevent the raids OF robbers.
4 vast amount of work is necessary 10 raise
one crop. Planting Is done along in Sertember
or October. The seed arc stuck thlckly in
a carefully prepared seed bed TO the depth
OF three inches, in little watering trenches
about three inches apart. Onoe in every three
days OF the plants whole life il has to ie wat
! nrat ,pi tina had caraT,lv insnactal 70 49,
vent crowding and the ravaGel OF worms and
Insects. over tho entire seed bed are built
she'd with mattings made Of weeds for a cover.
IN order 70 keep the light from the growing
plants. They cannot stand a strong light.
In tina second month of the second ear after
planting the root il regarded "a formed and
the general shape OF the Plant above ground
In the February OF the third year the plants
arc uanspianted To adlolIIng beds. FIVE or
six to each cross row. the watering trenches
being here between the plant rows. Here
they remain a year and then they are trans
planted to a third bed. being placed sull further
apart IN their respective trenches. year
later they are again transplanted. this time
to their final bed. where they remain about
years are required from the time OF planting
Gntl the, plant is matured Ntcr tie first
, ,hr or ,o sbaS Sesrss o sne n msoS ssisi igr or t ,e
tunn of the seventh year, az soon NJ the seeds
are ripe and have been picked, the harvest
DfSlIl5, Inc IltllS anu Ip'fVs intact NTf care
luly taken from the earth. The stems are
broken of. the roots washed, placed Ia small
baskets and taken to the tcsming housce.
Alter being steamed for several hours they
are removed and taken TO the driving house.
where they are spread out in baskets over
slow fires and dried for ten days. when they
are supposed TO be cured.
CONSIDERING all the time and trouble necss-
sary for the growth and curing OF the root
IL IS scarcely to be wondered AT that a high
price Is demanded for IL. No man Is permitted
10 grow ginseng without a license from tho
Government. and the whole Industry IL under
the control OF the foreign maritime customs
Il has 10 pay an export duty or about half is
value, and this stimulates smnG4ling Of the
root out of the country. In April. 1892. tho
net profits to the Government from declared
exports we're sji5. OO0, and IL is estimated that
one-third OF the crop was sinuggied out with
out paying duty,
Ginseng which has been raised and cured
by the process described above is called nv
tie Corcans hong-satn II forms the greater
part OF that staple II IL the only Kind which
will stand exporting Pak-Sam IL ln-sGm
which Il simply washed, scrRped and sun
drIrd after being taken FROM the earth instead
OF being cured In the driving houses II is
muci used ard il regarded By many as a better
medicine than holg-sqni, hut commercially