Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-02-11
Common Wild Plants That Grow
All Over the Country Are Inn
ported from Abroad.
WIDELY USED AS MEDICINE.
Value in Such Roots as Burdock,
Dandelion and Pokeweed and In
Dog Grass and Catnip.

This country is actually importing
for medicinal purposes plants that are
growing wild all around us, but which
no one seems to think II worth while
to gather. This fact Is pointed out
by the department of agriculture In
bulletin called Weeds Used as Medi-
cine," which 1t would be worth while
for the boy who reads this to write
for II he wants to make little money
out OF the vacant ground all around
him, a New York Herald Washington
letter says. The bulletin will explain
how to prepare the weeds for the mar
ket 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 $4,000 pounds Of bur-
dock root. The root sells for from
8 to 8 cents pound and the seeds
for from to 10 cents. This will
probably be news to most Of those dill
gent workers who have been wedding
out the burdock from thousands of
farms, and carefully consigning 1t to
the flames, while the more thrifty Eu-
ropeans have been selling 1t to us In
consignments that come more than
5000 miles to a country that abounds
in 1t.
Who has not wondered at the sight
of Italians digging for dandelions. The
country boy knows that dandelion
greens are not bad for the table, but
what few but the astute alien are wise
to 1t that druggists derive part Of
their income from the sale of dande-
lion as a tonic and that from to 6
cents a pound can be obtained from
the root that fourishes everywhere
ready for the picking?
Instead of gathering the dock root
that goes to waste all around US, the
American nation pays for the impor-
tation Of 125,O00 pounds of this plant
every year. The dried root sells at
from to 8 cents a pound, and is con-
The waste lands are alive with 1t and
any boy could make money by gather.
ing and preparing 1t for the market
A quarter Of million pounds Of dog
grass, 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 1t instead Of pulling Il
up and preparing 1t from the places
where It grows all around u.s.
brings from 3 to 7 cents pound
Here's a chance for the boy who find
the long vacation begin to pail upol
him to show he is as Industrious a
his competitor in the old world.
Then there Is pokeweed, skin an,
blood remedy, the dried roots OF whicl
sell for from to cents a pound
MULLEN. which is nerve tonic and
cough medicine, and which sells 70
good prices, but is not thought to b
salable by the boys Of this countr,
German boys know better-they sci
1t for Importation to America lobeli
seeds, which sell for Is cents pound
and catnip, which can be exchange,
for pocket money at the rate of fron
2 to cents pound.
These are only few OF the man,
weeds that are salaIble, but which W
allow to go to waste in this country
while we buy the identical thing from
abroad. 1t will open the eyes as wei
as line the pockets Of our boys to ge
the bulletin referred to and max
money out Of that obnoxious Job o
wedding.