The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-06
SUPERSTITION As
MARKET FACTOR
CHINESE SHY AT CULTIVATED
GINSENG AND PAY LESS.
But at That the Root Is Good for SIS a
Pound, Only 81 Less than Wild Arti-
Gle That Used to Be Great Source
Of Revenue. s.

Superstition has a bearing on the
market. Not the grain market-oh,
no! On the ginseng market.
A salesman for the Northwestern Eur
company of Minneapolis has furnished
q demonstration of the fact that the
dropping. ~. 1
pany, has for some years dealt in
ginseng, but has, lately been able to
get only SIS pound for the cultivated
root. He conceived the happy idea
that If he sent salesman to the
Chinese Of the twin cities and sold
the root direct to them he might get a
considerably better price. The sales
man started on his mission in St. Paul.
He entered Chinese store in that CITY.
where In addition to the proprietors
there happened to be a member Of 9th
er orientals assembled. He showed his
sample it. They were delighted. The
root had strength and was large. The
Chinese: at once got out their money
bags and began buying in quantities,
oellghted to get ginseng at 1925 a
pound for which they paid $25 and
$50 in the orient. -: :.
Smiles, Then Slump. r.
The salesman had accumulated $40 in
cash and was about to depart in peace
with the smiles Of the delighted Chin
csc following him. But at this moment
in came another celestial. He exam
ined the root, and &. minute later en-
tered into animated conversation with
his mates. The smiles changed to ugly
froWns. One Of tl1e men bolted the
door while the others angrily sur
rounded the salesman and with threat
ening gestures and display of former
ly hidden knives sticking in their belts,
demanded their money back and flung
their ginseng at him. Discretion was
the better part of valor, and the sales
man took the ginseng, returned the
whee sscre % Of the ms th Gssap IS
superstition said Mr.. Burnett.
s'There is some superstitious belief be-
hind the use OF ginseng as medicine
among the orientals. The Chinese came
In just as my salesman was going to
leave, told the others that the root
they were ouying was cultivated and
not wild. He knew, because experience
with = told him on examination that it
was but one year old in growth and
that it: had all been gathered at the
same time, late in the fall, when it is
heaviest. There is no charm, in the
eyes Of the Chinese, to ginseng root
unless 1t is the product Of the wild
plant of the woods. This accounts for
81 difference in the market price here
of the wild root compared with the
cultivated. Wild root is worth Sc a
pound. Ginseng, however, is falling
in price. In the last month it has
fallen 25 cents pound each week.
p Sell to Exporters.
1--WE who buy it have to sell it to
the exporters who have agents direct
in China. We cannot depend on Chin
ese& merchants in theEorient. There is
always trouble in sending the root to
them direct. The risk Is too great,
We sell it to. dealers in Chicago and
New York, who have branch houses in
China. There is also no doubt that in
China there is ring which keeps up
the price and which is entirely, con-
trolled by the Chinese merchants. It
Is also certain that these shrewd Chin
csc impose on their countrymen by
selling our cultivated root as wild
product; otherwise the Chinese would
not give a cent for it. g.
I'm Minnesota suppose there are
some fifty cultiyators Of ginseng. One
cultivator told me he " could make
money if the market fell even to $3.50
pound. It has been estimated that
an acre Of ginseng will yield: $4,000
worth of roots, but this acre needs
much care and has to be covered with
a lattice shed to give shade equal to
that Of heavy forest.' ..5'sg ~~u7