The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-07
.M0NEY|N.G|NSENG:
WONDERFUL HERB
CONTINUED From First Page.)

Continued From First Page.)
It's infancy. In fact. in one instance
alone. perhaps. can 1t be said to have
passed the experimental stage. While
this is true. those who have engaged in
1t as side line are doubtless helping
to solve one of the great problems
OF the day-the dawn of which is now
here-where high prices. dense popu.
lation, soaring real estate and the love
OF rural life unite in their demand
upon mother earth for bountiful
yleld-the very best return O. which
every square foot OF soil Is capable
When. as a youth, stood in the
village store ana saw the 'seng digger
receive cooking stove for his scoop.
ful OF aromatic roots, I marveled at
its value. To-day, with ginseng quoted
at $3.50 per pound and the secret OF
cultivation solved. I wonder that every
tiller of the soil doesn't have seng
garden.
Il suppose 1t may be claimed that
ginseng Is indigenous to the Virginia
mountains. because in anto-bellum
days the mountaincer could from any
favorable viewpoint, locate a lind
by casting his eye about him-a luxu-
RANT growth OF heavy timber. such as
walnut hickory and locust being a
guarantee of its presence-and It was
nothing unusual for a lone digger to
secure in single day a two-bushei
bag full Now. SO assiduously has IL,
been hunted. the man who undertakes
Its cultivation has difficulty in se-
curing enough OF the wild roots TO
start his patch or garden
SIX Years of experimentation.
"a. c. Suddarth, of Monterey, is
the pioneer in successful ginseng Gull
ture and his experience, and exper-
iments of six years not only make a
story worth telling. but may be termed
an eye-opener as demonstrating the
possibilities of the soil. even small
portion thereof
SIR. suddarth's experiments began
six years ago. He owns small lot
in the town-one- eighth OF an acre
and on this he laid Oft a seng bed
five by forty feet; securing few
roots and buying 1000 seed with which
to start Through ineaperienco he lost
four-f!fths OF the first planting OF
seed. He persevered. however. and
during the six years, has sold $3.50
worth OF seeds and roots, and on this
small town lot. occupied as a residence,
he now has 10000 plants. twenty fruit
trees, twelve grape vines and numerous
flower beds. Some three years ago he
purchased another lot in the suburbs
and has converted part OF 1t into a
seng garden. Most OF his plants are
four years old, and he estimates the
roots now on hand at $4,000. These,
however, will not be marketed until
six years old, at which age they are
at their best The plants begin to
have seed when they are three years
old. Last years crop of seed was 50,-
600. and this year he will sell double
that number. For these he finds ready
sale at SO per thousand for Strained
and 81 for the unstratifed
A Rather Slow Grower.
Some facts, not familiar to many,
and cleaned from Mr.. Suddarth's ex-
perience. are interesting: Cultivated
ginseng natures much more rapidly
than the wild. A root will grow as
large In three years under cultivat ion
as 1t Will in twenty on wild ground
1t takes eighteen months for the seed
to terminate. hence the method OF
stratifying or burying the seed in a
box OF earth until ready for planting
When the young plant comes up, it
will not bear hoeins. but must be
kept clear OF weeds. and does as vel;
under the artificial shade or lattice
as in the shade Of the forest. 1t will
grow In any variety OF soil, but there
must be good drainage
Mr. Suddarth's seng patch Is one