The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-08-07
MONEY IN WEEDS.
Common Plants for Which Druggists Pay a
Good Price.

Close by an old country farm lay
field of more than two acres of land
The greater part of this field was cover
ed with tansy just that old-fashioned gar
den weed that our grandmothers called
"pitter- buttons My friend who lived
on this farm had heard. that this weed
had medicinal value, and that large
wholesale drug firms purchased large
quantities of the dried leaves and BIOS
sens yearly, for their output, says
writer IN Suburban Life.
Upon consulting with firm, she found
that she could dispose OF the entire lot
for five cents q pound. The tansy was
then cut and the leaves and blossoms
carefully dried and shipped.
1t is pretty little weed, with its fern
like leaves, and its flower heads bloom
ing gaily from June to September.
Besides having medicinal value, tansy
is valuable help to the housekeeper,
for ii spread around where red ants
have been known 10 frequent it will rid
the place entirely of this pest.
Years ago our grandmothers' large
attics We're never without a great
quantity of it strewn on the floor and
among Woolens, as preventive OF moths
and buffalo bugs. Many use it for this
same purpose now, Tor it is never-fall-
ing remedy.
Here. in the State of Massachusetts,
it is very frequent sight to see Italian
women along the roadsides in the coun-
try cutting this tansy weed. They have
learned that ii has money value, and
are now offering it in quantities to drug
gists and firms that manufacture medl
cines.
There are many other plants growing
wild in the fields that have money value
to druggists. Among these is catnip
very well-known aromatic herb, claim
ing relationship to the mint family.
Old country homes were never without
a quantity of this on hand, for grand
mother pronounced catnip tea cure for
all ills. Many are the pains, of an in
FAINT and elder alike, that have been
soothed by the qualities of this decoc-
ton.
The catnip flower first appears in small
clusters III the early part of June, and
continues its blooming until far into
September. 1t should be gathered from
July until September, picking both leaves
and flowers, spread on a clean piece of
linen or white cotton cloth, and put away
in clean attic to dry
1t should be protected from dampness,
as we'll as the direct hot sunlight, and
dried very slowly, Every other day turn
over the flowers and leaves, so that the
drying will be equal. From three to
seven cents pound is the price that cat
nip brings in the drug market.
Burdock, that plant with its ever
sticking burrs which we dislike so much,
is another wild weed that cures many
ills 1t is the root of the burdock plant
that is used-the thick, fieshyappear-
ing. wrnkly root that mas a slightly I'M
pleasant odor to it, Usually it is gath
cred in the early fall and carefully wash
ed, split and dried, ready to be sold IN
market.
Burdock leaves are very frequently
used for poulticlng sWellings and int1am
nations, as great soothing and drawing
qualities are contained IN them. The
plant has quantity of seeds which are
also used for medicinal purposes. This
root brings, in market, about four cents
a pound, and the seeds eight cents a
pound. Of late years, our own country
has not been able to supply the demand
Of the drug firms for this plant, SO that
it is now being imported annually in
great quantities.