Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1908-06-18
~ a. L BLAKEsLsE J.cxsos.


oHAttes ot ginseng culture tn the /
Greater Mississippi department. A
number OF parties we're beginning the |
culture Of the plant At tha, time. snd /
considerable interest was being shown.
IL grows wild in several sections Of the |
State, being gathered from the woods
and sold generally by the women and |
children for pin money. Ia the writer's
native county tBentonl IL grew in pro- |
fusion on the bill sides and in the little |
valleys. Several dollars worth Of the |
root could be gathered by . family dur
ing the year. The following letter
from A c. Gof OF Youngton, warren
county. will prove interesting ~ be
gives his experience in handling the
plant, together with some possibilities
Of its culture:
Comparatively few people know any
thing Of ginseng, And fewer still know
anything Of lis culture and value.
From my personal experiences covering
period Of several yesrs | believe that
an acre OF good ginseng would easily be
worth fully ffty Thousand dollars.
started four years ago with 800 plants.
Last year loctobsrl | dug i50 pounds
which made 80 pounds Of dry roots that
readily sold for over s3oo. Islso sold
$3.50 worth Of seed and planted I'D. 600
besides. The root product was taken
from six beds each three feet vide and
thirty feet long. In 1905 l planted
3Oo, 600 seed from these plants and have
this spring 5000 healthy and vigor-
Gus plants. Also have about 5000
plants from seed planted prior 10 le0s.
/ have sold plants TO be delivered this
fall to the amount Of sl, ,S7. The whole
amount OF land occupied is less than
oue-third of IN acre. Seed tha, ripeu
after the 10Th OF August II not allowed
to dry before being planted will germi-
nate in Is months. Seed tha. ripen
earlier will come up the next spring
and it takes five years TO mature . root.
To obtain the best results ginseng
should be planted in deeply worked,
rich and well drained soil With two
thirds or three-tourths shade. IL will
not grow on wet land or in the sun
The root Is used principally by the Chi
nese and is worth from i've TO ten dol
lars per pound, according 10 quality"
There Is evidently something in the
culture Of ginseng for our people II they
viii properly prepare for IL and are
able 10 carry it through Il 10 . native
here and could undoubtedly be grown
and cultivated 10 an advantage, bu,
there are drawbacks, of course IL is
expensive 20 prepare the land BY mulch
ing and shading as required. and then
the plat must be carefully guarded 10
preven; thieves from stealing in .
night what il has taken years Of patient
attention 20 produce. From seven to
eight years is required to produce .
commercially valuable root However,
those who could prepare and cultivass
small plat would be providing soue-
thing Of value for the future. Let's
hear from others on the subject
Holmes county is taxing active steps
toward the location Of an agricultural
high school. On the lst the school
board met and adopted the following
resolutions:
/. A meeting viii be held on the
first Monday in July for the pur-
pose of considering propositions from
the various communities Of the county
for the location of said school, and for
the purpose of locating the same Il
y
> That any community desiring TO
ask for the school must file its PROPOSE
tion in writing, stating clearly what
offer and inducements it has to make
for the location Of the school In said
community.
3. That the offers and requests Of
each community will have due consid-
Grafton by the board, but it reserves
the right to reject any or all PROPOSE
tious, and to locate the school TO the
best interests of the county. Every
thing else being equal, the best finan-
cial offer will get the school.
4. The school may be located in con-
nection with county public school.
The North Mississippi fair circuit
has dates IS follows:
Neshobs, August IL to Il.
Baldwin, September 10 TO Is.
Starkville, October 8 to 8.
Greenville, October L to IL.
s-Nswtou, October IL TO l6.
Yazoo City. October 10 TO "a.
Columbus, October % TO ..
Dates for the South Mississippi cir
cult have not been completed - yet
but will be announced shortly. The
prospects for successful fairs in the
state were never better, and the number
shows 8 healthy increase. Keep up
the good work until the county without
. fair will be An exception instead OF .
rule.
A thoroughly sensible action was
taken by the citizens Of Marshall coun-
ty when they decided TO build model
road from the business square In Holly
Springs TO the experiment station Il
il proposed 70 construct permanent
roadbed and surface with gravel or
other durable material A public meet
ing was neld and the details arranged
There Is more in this movement than
the mere fact that piece of good road
will be built from town TO the expert
mens station. An example will be set
that will appeal to all who desire i'm
provement in road conditions. The
man who has all his life pulled through
mud and water, hauling only one-fourth
of what should be load for his team,
and who has never seen or had the op-
portunity of using a piece of good road,
does not appreciate the value of same
nevery man in Mississippi could use
for one week the good roads around
Jackson, Tenn, for instance. there
would be no trouble vhatever in Ind
ing some means whereby our roads
could be made better at reasonable
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