Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-04-30
GINSENG CRAZE is SPREADING
It's a Delusion, Say Government
Officials.

Despite the efforts of the agricul-
tural department to head it off, tie
ginseng craze has spread over the
country from ocean to ocean until
the situation, from certain pointssol
view, has become serious, says the
Washington correspondent of the
New York Sun. Many persons who
can i'll afford to lose money are cei-
tain. to suffer, the department Off
c ials believe, unless something can
be done to convince them of the folly
of trying to raise gingseng.
Ginseng is II plant used only by
the Chinese. The root is aromatic
and slightly stimulant, and the peo-
pie Of China have faith in its med
icinal properties that amounts almost
to superstition. They are willing
to pay rs much as SIS pound for
the dried root, and to this fact and
W StdtSiliSllto liiatlC Nv liiS hS' iSui'
tu,al department some time ago is
due the craze for raising it which
has swept over this country.
Ginseng grows wild in the
United States and Canada, but the
best root comes from Corca, and
from that country the Chinese an
nually import large supply. The
plant is cultivated in Corea and Man
churia and to small extent in the
United States.
Here is the danger to American
farmers who go into the cultivation
of ginseng: Prior to 100, China
imported from this country in five
years only $4,000 pounds of GIN
seng. That amount of roots could
have been raised in field Of httY OF
seventy-fve AGREE d.
rLe agricultural department has
distributed to inquirers not fewer
than $4,000 or 80, 900 copies OF a
pamphlet describing ginseng, and
the officials are now painfully aware
OF the fact that If dozen persons in
the United States should seriously
take up the culture Of ginseng they
would Immediately supply the en-
tire Chinese demand for ginseng
from this country. Moreover, the
market price OF the root would i'm
mediately decline until it reached
next to nothing. The crop wouldn't
be profitable.
James Wilson, secretary of agri-
culture, is an enthusiast on the sub
ject of Introducing new agricultural
pursuits into the United States, but
he makes no bones Of denouncing
the ginseng craze. He says GIN
seng is delusion and a snare.
Corea is recognized as the natural
habitat OF the ginseng plant, and
United States Minister Allen has
thrown up his hands in despair over
the growing volume Of his CORE
spondence on this subject.
In a letter to the state department,
in which Minister Allen tells OF his
trouble; from the ginseng craze,
he says:
"With great difficulty living roots
have been shipped to America and
Il reliable supply must now be avail
able. At least one entcrprising
American (of San Francisco) has
spent some months at the ginseng
farms in Corea, studying the cul-
ture and conditions and taking away
---:.t,-t,r,rr- -iargU- sruPrr1eur oi living
plants, so that dealers in the United
States must now have plentiful
supply of reliable plants and fresh
seeds"
eff all the ginseng plants in
-zsr1eTfC5r orruecu tie product VIII De
of little value. The only market for
the roots is in China, and it is over
stocked, while Il e Corean product
which seems to be of especial
value, due to conditions of soil and
climate is increasing SO greatly that
the purchasers of the last crop were
obliged. to destroy large quantity in
order to keep the supply more nearly
within the demand"
This spring tine ginseng craze
seems to be on the increase, and in
stances are known at the depart
mcnt Of persons who have actually
begun the culture of the much adj
vertsed plant. Fraud in connection
with this infant industry has already
appeared, some firms having adver-
tised ginseng seeds for sale, which
when planted produced common tur-
nlps.