520 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITTJTION, 1941 



Throughout the summer of 1716 Indians enjoyed a lucrative business, 

 digging the root and marketing it in Montreal. A year later a lieu- 

 tenant of French infantry introduced its use among the Fox of Green 

 Bay, "Wis. Very soon the French began collecting it, with the help 

 of Indian diggers, for export to China. There it was desired in such 

 quantities that dried ginseng presently became an important article 

 of commerce in Canada. At first, traders were able to buy at 2 

 francs per pound in Quebec and sell the root for as high as 25 francs 

 in China. In the early stages of the trade, the Company of the 

 Indies, who then controlled the trade, permitted the officers of their 

 vessels to carry ginseng as a private speculation. But in 1751, when 

 they perceived that these individuals were growing wealthy, the com- 

 pany reserved the trade for themselves. For a year thereafter the 

 price rose steadily beyond 33 francs in Canada until, to meet the 

 tremendous demand of the Rochelle merchants, an immense quantity 

 was dug out of season, improperly cured in ovens and shipped to the 

 French port, amounting in value to a half million francs. When 

 part of this arrived in China the Canadian root acquired such a bad 

 reputation that soon after 1754 the China market was virtually lost.*" 

 Although the status of the ginseng trade when Kalm visited 

 America is typical of colonial commercial interests during the eight- 

 eenth century, fortunately the same period witnessed the rise of the 

 scientific spirit in Europe and America. European physicians and 

 botanists coming to this country were inspired to collect New World 

 flora and fauna for expanding the new systematic biology which was 

 emanating from Linne in Sweden. Moreover, in England both the 

 commercial and scientific interests in plants centered at the house of 

 Peter Collinson, London merchant, whose importations from America 

 enabled him to stir up enthusiasm for gardening; and CoUinson's 

 unflagging zeal as a letter writer made his address the international 

 exchange for botanical information. In America, Philadelphia was 

 the scientific capital of the Middle Colonies. On a neighboring farm 

 lived John Bartram (1699-1777), who experimented with herbs and 

 was influenced by Franklin to study botany seriously. He became 

 CoUinson's American correspondent, and in the course of their long 

 relations, Bartram collected and shipped nearly 200 species of Amer- 

 ican plants and seeds, which Collinson introduced into botanical 

 gardens of England. Subscription funds raised by Collinson enabled 

 Bartram to travel widely through the country of the Delaware and 

 Iroquois. Although Bartram fundamentally distrusted Indians, he 

 made good observations of their customs on an expedition to Onon- 



*«Nash^ George V., American ginseng; its commercial history, • * • etc. (revised 

 and extended by Maurice G. Kalns), U. S. Dep. Agr., Div. Botany, Bull. No. 16, revised 

 ed., 1898 ; Kains, M. G., Ginseng • • • New York, 1909, 



