The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-09-15
THERE'S WEALTH IN WEEDS THAT
GROW IN THE FIELDS


This country is actually importing
for medicinal purposes plants that are
growing wild all around us. but which
no one seems to think it worth while
to gather. This fact is pointed out by
the Department of Agriculture in a
bulletin called "Weeds Used as Me-
dicine," which it would be worth
while for the boy who reads this to
write for if he wants to make little
money out of the vacant ground all
around him. The bulletin will ex-
plain how to prepare the weeds for the
market and will give some idea of the
price that the industrious boy can ex-
pect to obtain for the weeds that are
marketable.
Belgium and other European coun-
tries ship to this part of the world
every year about so, 900 pounds of bur-
dock root. The root sells for three to
eight cents pound and the seeds for
from five to ten cents. This will prob
ably be news to most of those diligent
workers who have been wedding out
the burdock from thousands Of farms
and carefully censigning it to the
flames. while the more thrifty Euro
peans have been selling it to us in con-
signments that come more than three
thousand miles to country that
abounds in it.
Who has not wondered at the sight
of Italians digging for dandelions.
The country boy knows that dande-
lion greens are not bad for the table,
but what few but the astute alien are
wise to is that druggists derive part
of their income from the sale of dan
delion as a tonic and that from four to
sixcents pound can be obtained from
the root that hourishes everywhere
ready for the picking.
Instead of gathering the dock root
that goes to waste all around us the
American nation pays for the importa-
ton Of 1875, 900 pounds of this plant
every year. The dried root sells at
from two to eight cents pound and
il considered an excellent blood medi-
cine. The waste lands are alive with
it and any boy could make money by
gathering and preparing it for the
market.
A quarter of million pounds Of dog
grass, a remedy for kidney troubles.
comes to this country annually from
abroad. Is it because we cannot grow
dog grass in America? No, but be-
cause for some reason this unthrifty
nation imports it instead of pulling it
up and preparing it from the places
where it grows all around us. 1t
brings from three to seven cents a
pound. Here's chance for the boy
who finds the long vacation begin to
pail upon him to show he is MS indust-
rious as his competitor IN the old
world.
Then there is pokeweed, a skin and
blood remedy, the dried roots which
sell for from two to five cents pound
mullen, which il nerve tonic and a
cough medicine. for which sells for
good prices. but is not thought to be
salable by the boys Of this country
German boys know better-they sell
it for importation to America; lobelia
seeds which sell for fifteen cents q
pound, and catnip. which can be ex
changed for pocket money at the rate
of from two to eight cents pound.
These are only few of the many
weeds that are salable, but which WI
allow to go to waste in this country
while we buy the identical thing from
abroad. 1t will open the eyes az wei
as line the pockets Of our boys to ge
the bulletin referred to and maxi
money out OF that obnoxious job O
wedding.