The Holbrook news., 1910-02-25
Common Wild Plants That Grow All Over the Country Are Im-
 ported from Abroad.
WIDELY USED AS MEDICINE.
Value in Such Roots as Burdoek, 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 it worth while
 to gather. This fact is pointed out
 by the department of agriculture in a
 bulletin called Weeds Used as Medi-
 cine," which it would be worth while
 for the boy who reads this to write
 for If he wants to make a little money
 out of the vacant ground all around
 him, 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 5O.000 pounds of bur dock root The root sells for from 3 to 8 cents a pound and the seeds for from 5 to 10 cents. This will probably be news to most of those dili- gent workers who have been wedding out the burdock from thousands of farms, and carefully consigning 1t to the flames, while the more thrifty Flu ropeans have been selling it to us in consignments that come more than 5000 miles to 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 it 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 fiourishes 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 125.000 pounds of this plant every year. The dried root sells at from to cents pound, and Is con The waste lands are alive with 1t and | any boy could make money by gather | ing and preparing it for the market. |
 A quarter of a million pounds of dog | grass. remedy for kidney troubles, | comes to this country annually from | abroad. Is 1t because we cannot grow | dog grass in America? No, but be- | cause for some reason this unthrifty | nation imports it instead of pulling 1t | up and preparing 1t from the places where 1t grows all around us It | brings from 3 to cents a pound. Here's chance for the boy who finds the long vacation begin to pail upon him to show he is as industrious as his competitor in the old world.
 Then there Is pokeweed, a skin and | blcod remedy, the dried roots of which sell for from to cents a pound; which Is a nerve tonic and a cough medicine. and 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 15 cents a pound, and catnip, which can be exchanged Tor pocket money at the rate of from to 8 cents a pound.
 AHeSe are oHly lew or the many weeds that are salable, but which we allow to go to waste in this country, while we buy the identical thing from abroad. It will open the eyes as well IS line the pockets of our boys to get he bulletin referred to and make money out of that obnoxious job of wedding.