No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUI-.TUKE. 803 



microscopical test I have found that while they closely resembled 

 the Japanese seed, there was oue character constant . with the 

 Manchurian sample that was not observable upon the Japanese 

 seed. Such Manchurian samples have come to me from totally 

 different sources and resembled each other. I am endeavoring to 

 get guaranteed samples of the foreign seeds through official chan- 

 nels for i)urposes of identification. Meanwhile it is safer for be- 

 ginners in ginseng culture to use only American seed and roots. 

 The price of fresh seed is $80.00 per pound, containing about 8,000 

 seeds. When seed has been held for a year in stratification it is 

 sold at from flGO.OO to |240.00 per pound. At the rate of the price 

 paid for the packet of seeds purchased in a Tliiladelphia seed store, 

 50 cents for 11 seeds, the price per pound would be |400.00. 



PKOF. VAN DEMAN: I have been cultivating ginseng about 

 three years experimentally. All that Prof. Butz has claimed for it 

 I can corroborate from what I have seen. So far as I know the 

 root has no value under the sun. It has no medicinal value but is 

 used only as a charm by the Chinese. The biggest humbug in gin- 

 seng is, in the business. There is a firm in New York offering 

 Manchuria seed at big prices when there is not any such seed in 

 North America. I would advise the ordinary man to let it alone. 

 If you have good soil and climate you may be able to grow it by 

 carefully shading the plants and waiting five years for a crop of 

 roots. If you want to make sure of your crop you will want your 

 garden strung with wires and guarded with loaded guns and watch 

 dogs. It is not a business that I would advise a friend to embark 

 in. 



The following paper was read by Prof. S. H. Fulton, Department 

 of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. : 



FRUITS IN COLD STORAGE. 



Br Pbof. S. H. Fultox, U. S. Department of Ayricnlture, Washinfjton, D. C. 



The history of the development of the fruit growing industry in 

 the United States is a record of the rapid and extensive growth of a 

 highly specialized branch of American agriculture. A half century 

 a"-o fruits were raised in limited quantities for home use only, 



