Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-08-17
GINSENG A PROFITABLE CROP.

For the past five years the writer has
DEVOTED a great deal of his time to the
study of profit bearing crops and next to
| the rubber industry of South America
there is nothing have seen SO profitable
as the culture of ginseng
After reading the Government Sta
tlstlcs concerning the plant / wrote to
Mr.. w. A, Bates, of Cuba, N. Y, who
is probably the largest grower in the
United States, stating the object we had
in view and asking for such information
as he could give me. In reply received
| work on Ginseng" written by him.
| self and also an invitation to visit his
| garden.
1t is not my purpose in this short arti-
| Gle to give description of his garden,
but rather to show what profit there is
in the business in order that many who
are in ignorance of this valuable crop
may have their eyes opened to it and
perhaps join in swelling the amount an
nually exported to China and incident
| ally assist in creating new source of
wealth for the agricultural commupi-
ties of the United States.
The amount of ginseng which can be
| annually exported to China without
overstocking the market, is reported by
u. S. Consul Johnson who made very
exhaustive examination of the subject)
To be over $50 600 600 worth. Now as
The United States has new exported
ginseng TO the extent OF S1,0C0, 900 an
nually it will readily be seen that the
| field for an extensive and lucrative busi-
ness is open to those who are willing TO
avail themselves of the advice of those
who are posted on the subject
1 fviuapnp tFrnVyp fya ,.5oI, ota1 Tat,,v, Iy,R
not wet or muddy soils, such as prevail
ir hardwood forest, and is found wild
in the following states Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York,
| New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia,
North and South Carolina, Georgia,
| Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkan-
sas, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan.
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri,
but by cultivation and proper treat
ment Of the soil this natural range can
be greatly increased; in fact it can be
grown almost anywhere in the temper.
! ate zone.
From the figures furnished by Mr.,
y ates, the following showing how roots
planted in the year 1904 and figured for
| Period of five years is more than justi-
fie6 by the results of his garden.
| Ihsse 2, 600 plants should average 20
seed TO Tie plant Summer of 1905 and so
seed to the plant each following year
first year 40, 900 seeds, second year 100, :
O00 seed. As it takes Is months for gin
seng seed to gerninate, seeds Of 1905
will produce plants spring of 1907; seeds
OF 1906 crop will produce plants spring
| OF 1909 and at the end of this period of
time should have 300, 600 growing Flants
| allowing 40 600 seeds for loss, besides
having the 1905 and 1909 crop of seed on
hand and the 200, 900 you began with,
| figured on the same basis as above, viz,
ounces 10 the root would give you S3h
pounds, dry root; figured at 50 per
| pound would make total OF $3.50. 0O
cash, 200 900 growing plants, or an acre
and 20OO, 600 seeds on hand.
In speaking of ginseng Mr. Bates says.
| Anyone can start in the ginseng busi-
ness who has the will and plat of
ground, | have started quite num-
Der with few seed and roots from my
garden, who are today in position to
realize a comfortable fortune therefrom
in the next few years.
BY the courtesy of Mr.. Bates, whom
| have always found ready to assist
others in obtaining information on a
start, / am enabled to make daily note
Of his methods of caring for plants, and
the results obtained certainly indicate
that his method is correct as there are
beds in his garden a #. 1876 It. } which
will, when harvested after the seed falls,
produce a crop worth about 81, 400, or
as much as the entire income from
large farm planted to ordinary crops.
This should cause readers to pause and
consider the propriety of planting at
| least a small lot
The expense attached to an expert
mental bed is 30 trivial that no one can
afford TO neglect this matter
G. II. DYE, Horticultural Specialist.
Cuba, N. Y.