The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-11-24
VALUABLE PATCH OF LAND.
Cunrt"r of an Acre belonging to .
Missouri Merchant That Will
Yield $25,OOO This Year.


Perhaps the most valuable quarter
acre of ground in the world is situ-
ated in one corner of the private gar
den of a country merchant living in
Houston, Texas county, Mo-, says the
ST. Louis Republic. The income from
this little patch of ground in 1900 is
enough to pay a 10 per cent. dividend
on quarter of a million dollars. A
rejected offer made for its product in
1901 was for sum sufficient to pay
II 10 per cent. dividend on $40, 900. An
offer of 100000 cash made for the
ground was refused as quickly as
made. This patch of Missouri is plant
ed in ginseng, which is sold to China.
men. The country merchant who
owns it has made a modest fortune in
the mercantile business, tried stock
farming us a "side line" and suffered
a heavy loss. and then. although
still continuing in the mercantile
business, took up the study and
culture of ginseng. He was prompt
ed to try and raise ginseng because the
United States department of agricul.
'"iS S'a'SH oh'SialiS tHut IL Souiu uoS
be successfully grown in the United
States. When the country merchant
saw that the department. of ag-
ricuiture said. ginseng could. be
raised elsewhere, but not in this coun.
Try, he pondcred awhile and then de-
cided 10 see il he could not prove the
department didn't know what it was
talking about.
So he got few ginseng roots from
Kentucky and planted them in rich
bottom soil They came up, but Il flood
washed all Of them away. He tried
another planting, this time selecting
a plot of ground about ten feet by four
feet i'll IL corner of his garden in town.
This crop failed. He tried again ut
the same place. The thru crop was
almost Il total failure. put not quite.
liy this time, however, he had learned
much about ginseng, and his fourth
crop. small as it was. was a success.
This WAS encouragement at last, and
the man went AT the cultivation of
his fifth crop with some degree of GER
tainty. He enlarged his patch to
about an eighth of an acre. Since
hen he has been succeeding admir-
ably. Each year he added more
ground, until he has a quarter of an
acre planted in ginseng. Each sue
rrrding crop has been several times
better than its predecessor. and now
even the mans ncighbors and the
scientists who for nine years have been
1onhting him are forced to admit that
h,,
culture in the United States.
Not until this year has the grower
cons cntcd to dispose of Il single plant,
root or seed of his ginseng stock.
Every seed WAS carefully preserved
and planted by him the following
spring. He was determined that his
stock should not run low. but this
year he feels that he has enough stock
for himself and that lie can spare some
+" others who wish TO embark in gin
trn@ culture. He has closed one con-
tract for $4,000 worth of roots and
seeds. to be delivered TO a New York
man when the crop is gathered in Sep
TENDER. Other contracts for sums
ranging from $25 bring the total
amount of sales for this year close to
S25,oD0. All of this supply has come
from the qunrter-ncre tract
The market value of ginseng roots
and seeds at the present time is 20
cents for the former and cents for
the latter. In one acre of ground
there can easily be planted. allowing
- inches space for each pant and 49,
inch walks between the 5-foot beds,
$4,000 roots. 1t will be two years be-
fore any OF the plants from these
roots will bear seed. They will not
be heavy bearers ut once, but will in
crease steadily in productivcncss for
at least eight years. The eighth year
each of the $4,000 plants should bear
GO seeds. or total of 3,l2D, 900 seeds.
Allow literally for loss in gathering,
shipping. etc, and we have n crop Of
at least 2,0GN.0OO seeds to realize on.
At 5 cents each this will amount to
100000 annual income from seeds
alone, with the roots from which they
were grown as good or better than
they were.
| But the market for seeds is not
among the Chinese CONSUMERS 1t is
among those who want to engage in
the business OF raising ginseng. Where
the consumer is to be supplied d.
rect, the 'alnc of the crop must be
figured in n different way. Say that
n full crop of seed is available for
planting. That will be 3,12O, 900 seeds.
Allow for he loss and failure to gem
crate of 1,1.0,O00 seeds. This will
leave 2,Oh0,OcO seeds that are practical
ly sure to generate and create 2,OOO,-
600 roots In IS months these roots
will be ready for market, and can be
sold direct TO consumers. the present
price being 20 cents each, or Il total
OF $500 coo for two years from the GIN
scng crop in IS months. This crop
of 2,OOO,000 roots would require a
space approximately OF 10000 acres.
one acre should produce $1,000 roots,
which, at the market price Of 90 cents
each, should. after is months, bring
Il return of $1,000.
i
! a Military MarrinSc
Nothing was done at Il recent mar
rngc in NGdctown, Conn, to lessen