The National tribune., 1904-06-16
GINSENG.

The Plant to Which the Chinese Ascribe the
- Most Wonderful Medicinal Virtues.
(From United States Consul Miller, Much
wang, China.)
WILD AND CULTIVATED GINSENG.
The most important and most valuable
of all the medicinal plants grown in Man
churia is ginseng (Panax ginseng. G. A.
Mayer. Whether the root actually pos
sesses any therapeutic properties is a dis
puted point; but the Chinese have implicit
confidence in it's virtues, and so long as
that exists the demand for it will continue:>
AS in Korea, it is indigenous to the coun-
try, and it is found in a wild state in the
forests of Kirin, especially in the Chang
pal Shan Range, where ginseng seekers an
nually sconr the mountains in search Of it.
When a wild plant is found its age is care
fully noted by observing the quantity of
it's foliage. | am told that plant of one
years growth has only one three-fngured
leaf on a short stem in the second year, two
similar leaves: in the third year the leaves
are four fingered; and so on until in the
fifth year 1t has Il lOngish stalk with sew
eral petiOles, each with five-fngered leaves.
After this, it blossoms and fruits, throw
ing up continuation of its stalk, crowned
with an umbel, from the junction of the
petIoies. In the seventh year the root is
sufficiently matured to be dug UP and pre-
pared for market. In Japan, on the other
hand. it natures much more rapidly, be-
ing ripe in the third or fourth year. If.
then, the plant which has been discovered
in wild state has already reached. or is
approaching maturity. it is either dug up
or it's position carefully marked until it
has fully matured. If, however. it is still
young. it is usually dug up and transplant
ed near the spot where it has been found
tthe transplanting causing it to grow more
rapidly or in place where it will be
der the eye and care of the cultivator.
This transplanting distinguishes the first
from the second quality of the drug.
The root that natures in an entirely wild
state is the more valuable. But nearly
all the ginseng exported from Manchuria
Is grown from seed. which is sown in mar
row beds in the valleys among the noun.
talns: this constitutes the third quality.
In growing from seed the plants are in
variably transplanted when they are year
old.
PREPARATION FOR MARKET.
After the maturcd roots are dug up they
are thoroughly washed in cold water and
every particle of earth removed by soft
brush, great care being taken that the
epidcrmis is not bruised or injured. They
| are then of a Xellowish color: but in their
natural, fresh state they would soon rot. SO
that steps have to be taken to preserve
them An Ordinary rice bowl is filled half
IL.
cording TO the color to be impaired to the
rootsJ and boiling water is poured thereon.
| When cool the mixture is of n treacly CON
sistency and il is then used for coating the
roots, being applied by means of soft
| brush. When coated the roots are laid OH
a piece Of clean cloth. spread on the top of
| n grating over Il pot of boiling wateF, a
wooden lid or cap being placed over ALL
The steam ascending through the cloth soft
ems the roots, which absorb part of the
sugar, the remainder finding its way
| through the cloth into the boiling water
where it ultimately sinks to the bottom of
| the pot and recrystallizes. This sugar. not
unlike taffy. has acquired slight flavor
of ginseng and is sold as '.ginseng sugar"
| During the steaming Of the ginseng roots
| the coating of sugar is frequently applied
until they are sufficiently sweetened They
| are then removed from the steamer and
spread on trays to dry in not too power
| ful sun. When dry this ginseng, now less
| than one-third of it's original weight, is
| very much softer than Korean ginseng.
which is nearly as hard as stone and very
| brittle.
In Japan, ginseng. although also sun
dried, is usually baked for two or three
DAYS in kins heated to a temperature of
| 21O' to 25O' f., and probably some sim
| liar system is adopted in Korea. At any
rate, | am assured that considerable guam
| titles of Manchurian ginseng are taken to
| Korea for eatment, and it is not unlikely
| that much of the so-called Korean ginseng
is really Manchurian-grown ginseng pre-
served in Korea. True, in former years,
when Korea paid annual tribute to China,
| Korean ginseng was brought into Manchu-
| ria in large quantities for the members
of mission, whose route to Peking lay
| through southern Manchuria, were permit
ted to carry, free of duty. certain fixed
amounts, each according to his rank.
CATERING TO THE DIFFERENT MARKETS.
A careful examination of the head of a
tginseng root reveals series of fine parallel
horizontal wrinkles or indentations, which,
if natural, stamp the root in the eyes of
| Il ginseng cOnnOisseur as valuable on ac-
count of its age but the Chinese in Man
| churia are clever enough to produce arti
| fetal indentatiOns if they do not naturally
| exist or are insufficient in number. During
| the steaming process a thread is wound
round the head. The steaming causes the
root to swell. with the exception of the
parts beyond the thread and when the
root contracts in drying the artificial
wrinkles remain.
| There is, again, recognized taste in the
| matter Of ginseng. The southern Provinces
! OF China, such as kwangtung. Kwangsi,
and Fukien, take white only: whereas the
| central Provinces, such as Kiangsu, An
hui, Human. and Ifupeh, prefer the red,
and. to satisfy the latter taste. brown in
stead of white sugar is used for coating
| the roots while they are being steamed,
| thereby imparting Il pale, reddish tint to
| the epidermis. Much of the Korean gin
| seng is pronouneedly red, but whether this
coloring is artificial or due, as some think,
| to the fcrruginous soil in which it is grown
| am not in a position to say. 1t is impos-
| sible to state even Approximately the value
| of ginseng, for the real wild root has been
known to realize a thousand times it's own
| weight in silver, while ordinary cultivated
ginseng may be purchased in the market for
| about $1.70 catty of 13 pounds
The clarified ginseng exported to China
| from the United States is made from the
| root of a species of ginseng which grows
in the Appalachian Mountains.
PRICES OF GINSENG.
The prices vary greatly according to size
OF pieces and locality from which they
come.
PRESENT PRICE OF GINSENG.
Description. Value.
Taels.*
WHd per ounce. e........... 5000 S37.OS
Cultivated:
From Kirin, per catty.... 1.OO.. .61S
ftN~