"^-W^vs
Gardeh.
vol. LVI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., NOVEMBER 9, 1901.
NO. 45
Written for the Indiana Farmer:
Ginseng Culture.
"The root that has sold,
For its weight in gold,
That wee tiny root
On the mountain side
Where from the sun 'tis wont to hide
Amid the shadows deep
Undisturbed by the tide." Tilson.
The people of the United States are just
awakening to the possibilities of the culture of this shy, but precious root. The
"Panax QuinquefoHuna," or American
• linseug. Ginseng (Gin. Seng) is Chinese.
It is the name of a root that is found in
the fastnesses of the Himalayan Mountains in the land of Thibet, one writer
says: "It was so treated by the Monks
of this land of superstition that it was
regarded by common people as the oracle
*.f God. The Monks would read (or pretend to) from the roots certain signs and
hieroglyphics. On the surface of the roots
would appear messages from the Deity to
the Monks, who in turn would communicate
them to the people." Whether this be
true  or  no,   it  is  very  certain  that  the
< 'ninese place a very high value upon the
root. They consider it a panacea for all
the ills the human family are heir to, aud
have so prized it for 4,000 years. So says
< 'hi Hung Li, a sage among his people.
Our American ginseng so nearly resem-
l*les the Chinese Himalaya species that
only experts are able to detect the difference. The common people of China ac-
.ept it as genuine ginseng, having the
same powers over ills and evil spirits, and
all who are able financially to buy the imported root do so, no matter at what cost.
Bnt few homes even among the common
people are without their ginseng, carefully
and sacredly guarded.
The Imperial family obtain their supply
from the mountains, where large areas of
mountain forest are held by the Emperor
especially for the' ginseng that is found
scattered through them. When prepared
for use it must be very fair, and possess
the exact aromatic flavor desired; in other
words must please His Koyal Highness in
every respect. All roots that do not
come up to the highest possible perfection
are cast away and greedily siezed upon by
the attaches.
It is claimed by Dr. Van Q. Valded who
{accompanied Here Von* Valinska, a Russian nobleman on an expedition into
Thibet and through China, that they obtain
ginseng in the Himalaya mountains of
rare beauty and perfection, some of which
they sold in China to Grandees for $240
a pound, and that $30 to $40 a pound was
quite a common price for the genuine
Himalaya nrticle. He also says ginseng
in limited quantities is found in the wooded mountains of China, Corea and Japan,
and is cultivated in those countries.
There are several stories afloat as to
how Americans discovered the similarity
of the ginseng of China and that of America. I will not narrate them here; suffice it
to say that they made the discovery and
for about 150 years have been exporting
to China about 95 per cent of our "Sang
dig" for prices ranging from 20c per ponnd
to $4 per pound to the digger. I have,
when a boy dug and sold ginseng for 25c
per pound. We will go no further back
than 1858 since which time up to and including 1896 the United States exported
1 .,.778,415 ponnds of dried ginseng, at a
price ranging from 52c to $3.86 per pound
or a total value of $20,838,169. In the
year 1897 we exported 179,573 ponnds, at
an average of $4.71 per pound; value
$816,415.
It is thought by some of our best
authority,  "best posted  Sang Men."  that
China alone would use even at the present fabulous prices she is paying, 20 millions worth annually if we had it for them.
With patience, enterprise, business tact
and perseverance we may be able to do
it. Time and patience enter largely into
the culture of ginseng. As a people we
have the business tact and perseverance,
but time and patience are scarce; hence
are high priced articles in American economy.
Let us talk a little about ginseng ln
Indiana. Hundreds of our old people
know that at one time ginseng could be
found in many parts of Indiana, so we
know it will grow and live in this climate,
but it never was found on the prairies or
in swamps, but could be found in considerable quantities in dense forests, on dry
hilly and broken* land. The past 15 years
experiments have solved the problem of
how it may be made to grow under cultivation. "Give to it its needs and it will
yield to you its wealth, at your bidding."
(Moral.) It demands a few certain conditions, but these conditons must be complied with or it refuses to abide with us.
The conditions are simple and easily complied with, namely shaded, dry, rich land,
care, patience, time. Tiny who have not
all these to bestow upon this great moneymaker had better let ginseng alone and
stick to hog and hominy.
Ginseng is a shy, tender, jealous plant,
yet, so hardy when surrounded by its
friends that it will stand with perfect
self confidence the rigor of the northern
winters. "In sunshine it withers and
dies. With water as a companion it
decays; in poor, hard ground it refuses to
yield its golden egg."
I quote from the best authority I can
find. "A half acre of land has yielded
$10,000 in eight years." "Gardens covering less than half of three acres have
yielded in ten years (patches here and
there among the forest trees) sales $4,085.
with a stock left on hand worth twice
that amount." The above is from a
Kentucky ginseng grower of undoubted
reputation. The department of agriculture of the government reports one party
selling from four and one-half square rods
of ground iu ten years $575, and now he
has on the ground roots, seed and settings
worth $1,150, a total production of $1,725
from four and one-half square rods.
The computation- of one of large experience ns to the possibilities of an investment of $10 in ten years is so great it
looks rediculous, and I will not quote
him, it looks too large, I hardly believe it
possible and I ask myself the question.
"How can this be possible?'' Read up
on it, investigate it, figure on> it and you
can't help but believe there is something
in it; even if only half is true it is a plenty.
If you could plant 5,000 pear trees on 60
acres of land and have any kind of assurance that you could gather in five
years 50c worth of pears from each tree,
and 50c worth each succeeding year from
each tree for 5 to 15 years, then dig the
trees up and sell them clear of all expense
of digging for 50c each, if you are tired
of the business, would you not hustle to
get the land and trees? If you would
not you don't deserve a place in the procession. That is the way it figures with
5,000 plants of sang and 20 square rods
of land.
I have nothing to advertise, no plants
or seed to sell (wish I had) but I love my
native State. I am interested in her development and prosperity, and I want to
see her well up the fore front in the march
for greater things.
Methinks   I  hear   a   whisper,   "if  these
things are true why are not more people
engaged in it?" There are three principle
reasons. First. It is new and people
are afraid. Second. People are not informed. Third. Slowness of growth of
seed and roots. In most cases it takes
18 months to sprout the seed, it then takes
three or four years for seed producing
plants. The roots may be harvested after
four years at a profit, but as the roots
develop much faster from 4 to 10 years
than* at any other time, unless the roots
are needed for expenditure, better let them
alone for a while; they will pay compound interest. I do not counsel anybody
to jump into the "Sang" business on a
large scale without first testing it, but
investigate it, try a few roots and see
what they will do. I am a little suspicious of new things and especially when
they look so big on paper; but one thing
is sure, if it will stand the light of day
and is one-half, one-fourth, yes one-tenth
as good as claimed, it is a gold mine right
at home. I would advise caution. With
all its wonderful possibilities there may
be something somewhere that we have not
seen that would be disappointing, but it
is surely worthy of a trial plot in the
garden. I have data from a New York
"Sang cultivator" who dug her own ginseng in the woods on which to start her
experiment station, cultivated it in flower
pots in her house as a flowering plant for
two years; last year, 1900, she sold $300
worth of roots and seed; this year, 1901,
she hopes to realize more than that
amount, and she writes me that she will
be compelled to return several orders iirr-
filled.
You may ask why this remarkable .advance in price? Answer, decrease in
quantity. Why decrease in quantity? If
so small amount of land will yield so
large quantities? Answer, in its wild uncultivated state it will not permit the encroachment of the farmer with his ax and
plow. Another and a no small cause is
that the extreme high prices paid tho last
few years $8.50 per pound, the highest,
has prompted the "Sang diggers" to hunt
the plant so closely that but few plants
are permitted to stand until old enough to
produce seed (three to four years) after
germinating and as it is only reproduced
from seed it is easily ascertained why it
is growing scarce.
Indiana.
potent horticulturists in the United States,
and is quoted by English as well as American writers. A recent review of the
progress of plant breeding says: "In
I860 Marshall P. Wilder, in his presidential address before the American Pomolog-
ical Society, gave advice regarding the
origination of varieties in almost exactly
the same words that might be used to-day:
•It was my first, so it shall be my continual
and last advice: Plant the most mature and perfect seed of the most
hardy, vigorous and valuable varieties, and, as a shorter process,
ensuring more certain and happy results,
cross or hybridize your best fruits.' "
The American Pomologicnl Society was
organized in 1848, Mr. Wilder being one of
its most active promoters and for many
years its honored president. At a still
earlier period he had shown his interest in
the broader field of agriculture by taking
part in the organization in 1841 of the
United States Agricultural Society—an almost forgotten association which did
much for agriculture b? '*■* annual meetings and its publicat. ■£.1 more by recommending the establ J t of a department of agriculture "a S annual meeting of the society un y„ desirable result was attained" in 1        *J
In 1850 the Massaehu v_;= *nate passed
a bill to establish an a__*£e iral college.
That very year Mr. WiY*g &• s president
of the senate. It W6». ".uteresting to
know that he sought and secured political
influence and official position in order to
work more effectively for the advancement
of agriculture. He had seen the effect
of the work of the United States Agricultural Society and must have realized the
importance of providing for the training
of the young in the sciences underlying
the practices which that organization was
trying to teach their elders. It were a
worthy ambition to serve agriculture as
effectively as Marshall Wilder did by gaining fitness to lead as he led and then securing position that adds power to the
power already acquired. It certainly is
more sensible and practical to do as he
did than to complain because legislatures
neglect the interests of agriculture.
Mr. Wilder never lost his interest in
agriculture, and died at the age of 88
years while preparing an address which
he hoped to deliver before a meeting of
farmers and fruit growers.
Denver, Colo. D. W. Working.
Men Who Have Helped the Farmer.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Marshall P. Wilder.
(Born Sept. 22, 1798; died Dec. 16, 1886.)
Marshall Pinekney Wilder was born at
Rindge, Xew Hampshire, and was brought
up as were other New England farm boys
a hundred years ago. When he became
of age he went into business with his father. Six years later he established himself
in Boston as a West India merchant. In
1827 he became partner in a Boston commission firm. He became interested in
politics, and in 18.39 was a member of the
Massachusetts Legislature. Ten years
later he was in the state senate, of which
body he was president in 1850. That he
was a successful business man may be inferred from the fact that for 60 years he
was a bank director.
Mr. Wilder was especially interested in
agriculture and in industrial education,
and lent his valuable support to the organisation of the Massachusetts Institute
.if Technology. He was proud to call
himself a pomologist; but he was more
than a pomologist, he was at home among
the flowers as well as among the fruits.
In his day he was one of the most com-
Shredded Corn Stalks.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
As it is soon time to shred I wish some
that have had experience would write on*
the subject. I never had any shredded,
but intend to try it this season. There is
one drawback this season, as about one-
half the ears are nubbins. I don't like to
have the small corn with the large. I
want it separated, so I can have the small
corn ground cob and all. I know it pay.?
to do so. I see different experiment stations recommend it highly. It makes
good feed for stock hogs, especially if
cooked. The way to cook it is to heat
water in a large kettle or feed boiler; when
boiling stir the meal in; add slowly and
keep stirring until a thick mush, not too
stiff as it will thicken while cooking. Draw
the fire out or lift kettle off, so it will not
burn at bottom. Mix the mush with
slops or milk. It takes a good mil) to
grind corn and cobs finely. I wonld like
to know which is the best two-horse mill;
the cheap kind are not what is wanted.
As the corn is high we must make the
most of it; will not bear wasting.
Sunman. John Bennett.