The Kemper herald., 1908-06-18
FOR
GREATER
MISSISSIPPI

writer frequently referred to the pos
sibilities of ginseng in the "Greater
Mississippi department. A number
Of parties were beginning the culture
of the plant at that time, and consid-
cradle interest was being shown. 1t
grows wild in several sections OF the
state, being gathered from the woods
and sold generally by the women and
children for pin money. In the wri-
ters native county, Benton, it grew
in profusion on the hill sides and in
the little valleys. Several dollars
worth of the root could be gathered
by family during the year. The fol-
lowing letter from Mr.. A. c. Goff, of
Youngton, Warren county, will prove
interesting as he gives his experience
in handling the plant, together with
some possibilities of its culture:
etherwthpiant. .toglingtheinhand ann f
Comparatively few people know
anything of ginseng and fewer still
know anything Of its culture and val
ue. From my personal experience
covering a period Of several years, l
believe that an acre of good ginseng
would easily be worth fully fifty
thousand dollars. 1 started four
years age with 600 plants. Last year
(October) l dug $50 pounds which
made so pounds of dry roots that l
readily sold for ever 5000. / also
sold $500 worth of seed and planted
100000 besides. The root product was
taken from six beds each three feet
wide and thirty feet long. In 1906 l
planted 100000 seed from these
plants and have this spring 250,00O
healthy and vigorous plants. Also
have about $4,000 plants from seed
planted prior to 1906. | have sold
plants to be delivered this fall to the
amount OF 1857. The whole amount
of land occupied is less than one
third of an acre. Seed that ripen af-
ter the 10th of August if not allow
ed to dry before being planted, will
germinate in Is months. Seed that
ripen earlier will come up the next
spring and it takes five years to ma
ture root. To obtain the best re-
suits ginseng should be platned in
deeply worked, rich and well drain
ed soil with two-thirds or three
fourths shade. 1t will not grow on
wet land or in the sun. The root is
used principally by the Chinese and
is worth from five to ten dollars per
pound, according to quality"
There is evidently something in the
culture of ginseng for our people if
they will properly prepare for it and
are able to carry it through. 1t is
native here and could undoubtedly be
grown and cultivated to an advantage
but there are draw backs of course.
1t is expensive to prepare the land
by mulching and shading as required,
and then the plant must be carefully
guarded to prevent thieves from steal
ing in night what it has taken years
OF patient attention to produce.
From seven to eight years is required
to produce a commercially valuable
root. However, those who could pre-
pare and cultivate a small plat would
be providing something of value for
the future. Let's hear from others
on the subject.
AS is well known, the department
of agriculture and commerce is one of
the youngest of Mississippi's state de
partments. The work was entirely
new here and it was created more as
an experiment than otherwise, al
though Mississippi was the last state
in the south TO do this for the agri-
cultural and stock raising interests.
1t is gratifying indeed to the commits
sioner, to note the interest being
shown by the receipt of hundreds of
letters from all parts of the state,
commencing or recommending action
for the relief and bneefit of the far
mers. A Tunica county planter asks
for bulletins and says: ~ muclti-
waiting ana have ben for many years,
1000 acres of corn and cotton and on
account of the growing scarcity of
negro labor, have concluded to change
my plantation from cotton farm to
stock and hay. Some ten years ago
l began with alfalfa and have not
had the success hoped for, but am
sure that it will do well here if han
died right. / hope to get the advice
of Prof Fox at the Delta experiment
station. Will put in fifty acres this
August and September and increase
TIE acreage every year" An Amite
farmer says: ~ could not fill the
last order for syrup because am
out. Sold all at a good price. We
The work Of tick eradication has
been actively commenced by the state
Live Stock Sanitary Board and the