The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-08-14

 or seven years old 1t is dug up and handed over to the government; who demands the monopoly of Ginseng curing as its own perquisite. It is said that the only Ginseng which real ly is improved by going through the curing process is that grown in or about Songdo, hence it is only in this city that the government has curing establishment. Work is carried on in this place from the first fortnight in September to the close of October, and the law makes it obligatory for grow CTS to deliver their crops within the period. The growers responsibility ceases as soon as he has delivered his crop. He will receive a certificate stating both how many roots, and the total weight he has brought in; but has to possess his soul in patience for several months until the government is ready to pay, when he will receive from $3 to S5 per pound of about twenty ounces.
 Curing.
 The Touring establishment is com posed of quite a number of one-story buildings, all enclosed in a high wall and under the care of a military guard. The buildings are divided into sections known, respectively, as First, Second and Third Heavens; also, First Second and Third Earths," On the fourth side of the compound run the SCGan11ng-SneOS ana VdT1OuS SIOI0- rooms Almost the entire space that is not built over is covered with three feet high bamboo platforms, which the trays containing the roots are set out in the sun. Each tray is label led, stating to which section, that is, longs. In this manner the roots, which are placed forty on each tray, are thoroughly sun-dried. It is all- important to prevent the roots from being exposed to damp; therefore, on the first indication of a shower, and every evening before sunset, they are carried back to the rooms from which they had been taken.
 Steaming.
 At that exact stage in the curing process known alone to the Koreans, the roots are collected and packed in two feet diameter baskets, each about six inches deep, which are placed in pairs in an earthenware steamer. These steamers, at their 1 thickest part, are about four feet in diameter and one and one-ha1fs feet deep They have holes in the bot tom to admit the steam from the iron boiler below. When ready to com mence the process of steaIning three gallons of water are poured into the four gallon boiler, the steamer IS placed on top and the Joint made tight ] by a pad of grass cloth A thick wadding of paper is laid round the top of the steamer and upon this is placed a cover, which is held in posi- | ton by weights. The object of this | wadding of paper, and the pad of grass-cloth, is to prevent any steam from escaping; but observation shows 1 that fortunately for the man in charge, a considerable amount of steam manages to force it's way out l The duration of the steaning, is de- l i made of the fibre and bark of the 1 false aca cia, (Rubinea PseudacaciaQ For the seven-year-old roots four and | one-half inches of the torch are mark ed off and burnt; for six-year-old an i inch less, while for fveyear-old but I two and three-quarter inches are burnt.
 When the baskets have been placed | in the boiler and just as the steaming i commences the torch is lighted and set in an earthenware vessel; over it | is spread a piece of canvas, the ob- l ject of which the natives say, is to prevent the torch from burning rap- idly if famed by the breeze. Just as soon as the torch is burned out the 1 fire has to be drawn The baskets are now lifted out of the steamer and the roots placed, forty each, on | wicker trays, which are set out in the | sun. When the roots have stopped steaming, they are turned over to dry l on the other side; as soon as they are | could they are then carried to what is | called
 The Drying House.
 The drying house is built with con- crete walls about twenty inches thick
 and is So constructed as to be quite 1 air-tight. Its doors are made of ex- | tra thick wood and all cracks are 1 carefully pasted over with stout pa per- The trays containing the steam 1 ed roots are placed on racks provide I'd 1 for the purpose all around the inside l of the house.. Huge charcoal fires l are lighted in three shallow holes dug l in the ground which form the floors 1 of the room. The doors are then
 closed and dramatically sealed. Presto!
 l During his absence from the drying
 house of about half a day something 1 hoppens that the Korean knows how 1 to produce, yet is quite unable to ex- | plain. The oxide of carbon formed
 by the burning of charcoal acts upon some property of the roots, chem1- 1 caIly changing it and thereby produc- l ing a transformation both in color and
 in touch.
 When the Ginseng is taken from this drying house the root is a semi | transparent red color and just so hard l that it will not yield to the touch l The rootlets are then shipped off with
 a pair of scissors and the body" as
 it is called, is exposed to the rays ot
 the sun for about ten days until it be- comes "as hard as stone''
 The last item in the process shows 1 t=zs intense Ingenuity of the Koreans | in small things. The roots are now so hard and brittle, that they will | break if packed close together or if dropped on the floor; so they are l placed in a. hamper, which is left to stand on the floor of a damp store
 room. Tn a short while the roots will
 soften, then they are removed to a
 room with g. heated stone floor, upon l which they are laid out and sheets of
 oiled paper spread over them until | they become so soft that they may be
 bent without injury. They are then