The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-20

and far finer than chicken. and really
the prospects of profit held out by the
boomers were so enticing that the class
OF city folk who spasmodically turn
their attention to poultry raising and
waste thousands OF good eggs in futile
experimentation with incubators turned
their barns into "rabbitries" and pro-
ceeded to lose money and at length
faith in the business. To-day one hears
nothing about Belgian hares and dare
say nothing 10 the victims upon so sore
subject. Now and then we have a re-
vival of the silk worm craze and inter-
ested parties flood the papers with at
tractiVe articles promising all kinds of
profit to delicate ladies and trustful,
nature-loving men, who will embark in
the business of cocoon production. To-
day it is the ginseng fad, and that VIII
inevitably die the death of the late la
mented humbugs which have fooled de-
cent people throughout the country.
our Secretary of Agriculture, Hon.
James Wilson, says ginseng is a delu
sion and a snare and adds: Let gin
seng alone" So say we. China needs
but a limited amount and while the
supply is limited the price may remain
in the neighborhood of s. a pound, as
advertised in the exaggerated state
ments of the root and seed sellers. But
If a fraction of those who have recently
gone into the business of ginseng rails
ing succeed but fairly we'll the market
will be flooded with the article, and
once glutted the roots will become a
drug upon Chinese and American mar
kets, but not "A profitable selling one.
Were less than 100 acres scientifically
devoted to ginseng raising in this coun-
try they would supply all of the product
taken in any one year from this cou1-
try by China. We are unable to say
how many acres have already oeen
planted to ginseng, but it is certainly
much over the figure we have suggest
ed, for reports tell us that hundreds of
Well-meaning people have gone into the
business. To indicate the spread of the
craze we may mention that some time
ago we came across a patch of ginseng
upon little clearing in Marathon coun-
ty, Wisconsin. 1t was fenced around
with laths two lengths high and duly
covered with cotton cloth which we
understand is necessary Is a shelter for
the plant. The house upon this little
farm was constructed of logs ard the
primeval forest was still UNSOLICITED.
In all, some twenty acres were cleared;
the rest of the farm was in the wild
state. Possibly the good wife of this
establishment had read a glowing gin
seng advertisement in some woman's
paper and had been led to purchase
plants and give them tender care with
the hope of paying for the entire farm
i'm year or two The same attention
paid to hog or chicken raising or even
to the care of a kitchen garden, which
we failed to note on this clearing, would
certainly give substantial results year
ly while the ginseng after the five
years necessary to maturing roots for
market-provided the plants lived that
long-may not find market at remun-
erative prices. There is sure profit in
attending to the ordinary work and
crops of the farm. There is little
enough time to attend to them well and
no time at all to fool with doubtful
propositions like ginseng. AS general
rule, it is wisest to stick to the crops
that have been proved profitable and
suitable in a particular district and this
conservatism conduces to success. We
have never known of doctor succeed
ing perfectly who was everlastingly
adopting new remedies just because he
saw them doomed in his medical jour
nails. If he held fast to that which he
had found to be good he got along we'll
and earned the confidence and thanks
of his community. So with farming.
We believe the best results come from