CULTIVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS. 747 



Owing to the fact that essential oils are used in such large 

 quantities it is quite likely that the cultivation of many of these 

 plants may be made successful, providing at the same time that 

 suitable apparatus for their distillation is also installed upon the 

 farms. 



By reason of the fact that the cultivation of chicory is a per- 

 manent agricultural industry in nearly all of the countries having 

 a temperate climate in Europe, experiments have been conducted 

 in the L^nited States in a small way, and these have led to the con- 

 clusion that it may be successfully cultivated in those States where 

 the sugar beet industry has flourished. 



As a summary, the following general points might be held in 

 mind by those who desire to take up the cultivation of medicinal 

 plants : 



In the first place, he ought to determine whether there is a 

 market for any drug under consideration, and this can only be 

 obtained by personal inquiry and investigation, as not even any 

 of the government publications give this information. 



In the next place, if one is satisfied that it is worth while 

 to take up the cultivation of any particular plant, its geographi- 

 cal range should be studied, both as to where it is indigenous 

 and where it has become naturalized. The literature should be 

 gone over not only for facts regarding the cultivation and distribu- 

 tion of the particular plant in view, but also of some of the related 

 plants. 



At the same time that these preliminary studies are made, a 

 careful survey should be taken of the plants which are indigenous 

 and under cultivation in the particular locality where one is pro- 

 posing to locate the farm. Then, of course, everything should 

 be done on a small scale at first. If there is no information 

 available, then he must, on the basis of the general principles laid 

 down for the cultivation of medicinal plants, proceed with their 

 culture, conducting parallel experiments with propagation by both 

 seeds and cuttings. 



Then when the crop is harvested he must, by analytical and 

 other means, satisfy himself as to the value of his product com- 

 pared with the commercial article, and with these facts in hand 

 submit specimens and request quotations from the dealer in crude 

 drugs, and the wholesale druggist. On this basis he will arrange 



