Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-11-13


ing travelled over nearly every farm in
both. About nine years ago Mr.. Whit
ney secured his largest crop, gather
ing in the months of September and
October a large quantity of the root,
which, when thoroughly dried, as it
must be before sold, amounted to
about IS pounds, for which he was
paid So a pound by White Bros. of
Boston. This was considered a good
price then, though since that time gin
seng has increased in value, until last
year Mr.. Whitney sold his crop for
1913 pound, and hopes to do as well,
or even better, this year. Brattleboro
10 years ago was considered a great
locality for ginseng. The Aldrich,
Clark and Miner farms were, to quote
Mr. Whitney, Literally alive with the
root" At that time he was supposed
to be about the only digger in this vi
cinity, though Paul Willis, the war
veteran, and Orrin P. Sheppardson,
the old carriage maker, hunted the root.
J. J. Barnes of Westminster, has gath
cred ginseng for years in connection
found in July and August, though Sep
TENDER and October are considered
the best months for digging, as the
berry is red and fully ripe then, and
more readily seen in the yellow vege-
tation. The most Whitney ever found
in one locality was on the farm Of
Mrs. w H. Bigelow, in the west part
Of BrattlebOro, just northwest of
Round mountain, where he dug stead
lily for at least two weeks, with most
satisfactory results. When he began,
it was his custom to pick off all the
little fibers of the root before ship
ping, but now that it has been ascer-
tanned that these little feelers are we'll
nigh invaluable, the buyers invariably
require the fibers to be left on the
root.
Ginseng growing looks something
like sarsaparilla, only the stalk and
leaves are blue. When ripe it has a
bunch of red berries at the top and
center Of the stalk, around which is
growth of beech-shaped leaves. Most
stalks have their branches with five
! leaves to each branch, and it has
| been found with as many as five
| branches with % leaves. The stalks
grow all the way from six inches to
two feet, depending altogether upon
| the quality of the soil. Ginseng is
generally found in woodlands among
| hardwood timber, butternut timber
land being the best locality for it, al
though it is indigenous to the soil of
old-growth ash and maple where the
land is partly shady. The roots grow
in all shapes and length, and Mr.. Whit
ney reports finding as many as nine
roots to one stalk, though it generally
grows with two or three roots. Whit
ney's best find this year has been
root that weighed nine ounces. After
digging the roots are washed and
dried as much as possible before ship
ping, but the seller must await an
other and more thorough process Of
drying by the buyer before it is finally
weighed, when he gets his money.
The root is dug with little hook-like
continuance attached to an ordinary
walking stick, and great care must be
exercised not to cut or break the root,
for such damage takes from it's sell
ing price. For the past two or three
years ginseng has been reported as
scarce, owing, it is supposed, to too
much hunting and the fact that cattle
and sheep seem to be very fond of it,
and where they Craze it is difficult to
find enough to pay for the digging.
Mr. Whitney says he has never dug
less than this year. but then he was
late in getting at it and some other
fellow, evidently had got there first
, Ginseng is of slow growth, and takes
five years, at least, for the root to ma
, ture from the seed. A Newfane man
is engaged in growing ginseng under
cover something as Sumatra tobacco
is grown in Florida. The NeWfane
patch is fenced in and protected, &C
: cording to common report by a sys
TEN of electric bells, which ring
: whenever the wire fence is touched
o This grower is said to have sold re
O Gently over $500 worth of ginseng Der
o ries to different ones, who will at
tempt to cultivate it as is done in the
l. | west.
J. Ginseng is pleasantly aromatic ant
t probably slightly stimulant. The eel
{ estials value it highly and consider il
), a specific for almost every trouble
L from which they suffer. It has beer
n used in China for 40 centuries, where
E the product is one Of great CONNER
v cial Importance. Imperial ginseng
}, raising is a government monopoly
. being grown in the royal parks anC
l. tied upon those who steal the plants
/. This product sells as high as 5000 ;
) pound, and is used by the aristOcrat!
s of China American ginseng is Dough
2, as third grade, though it is the grea
e staple kind, for which there is al
J. enormous demand. The second grad
a comes from COrea, while the fourth
d grade is the Japanese product used t.
W aduIterate the better qualities. But
r, notwithstanding the great traffic il
e ginseng, its use is still mystery
E. nor has the almond-eyed craze for tn
e root ever been satisfactorily eS
y planned. We know, Of course, tina
Is Americans are given to the use Of gin
n seng, believing in its efficacy in sc
d we're bowel complaints. Some peop1
a habitually keep it in their homes a
is a. medicine and consider it great tor
il ic. while others chew it as they woul
IN | p11n the taste being very pleasant.