212 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



plant, and for that purpose would like to obtain seeds or living roots 

 for such purpose, and for these and for information and help in this 

 matter he was recommended to address Professor Roberts, of the Ag- 

 ricultural College. 



• On November 9 I received a letter from the house in Cleveland, in 

 .reply to a letter from me asking for information regarding the results 

 of their investigation on the habits of the plant, etc. Their reply 

 stated that their agent found it growing pretty well all over the state 

 of Kansas, but that it is only gathered in commercial quantities in 

 the northwestern part of the state. The reason for this seems to be, 

 that the root thrives better in the rocky soil of that district. They 

 further stated : "We think that your suggestion on the cultivation of 

 the root would prove of benefit to the drug trade as well as to the 

 farmers of Kansas." This writer found two objections to this cultiva- 

 tion, one being that it takes five years for the plant to come to'maturity. 

 This makes a very slow crop. And, secondly, that when grown on 

 rich soil, suitable for cultivation, the root never becomes large enough 

 in size to pay for digging it — never becomes larger than a lead-pencil, 

 and strikes right down in the earth. In the rocky soil where it is 

 gathered, most of the root becomes large in diameter, and is easily 

 gathered in quantities by aid of a pick. 



As an appendix to the above, we wish to say that a contrary opin- 

 ion is held by W. H. Baker, of Manhattan, formerly of Topeka, as to 

 the kind of soil suitable for growing Ecliinacea augusti folia. He 

 states that, from his observation of the habits and growth of it, he is 

 led to believe that the plant can be grown in ordinary garden soil. 

 In Jefferson county, three miles east of Grantville, he saw the plant 

 growing in abundance on a rich upland meadow that was slightly 

 sandy. Jefferson county is among the eastern tier of counties. In 

 one-half day, in this meadow, Mr. Baker says he dug seventy-five 

 pounds of root. Many of the roots would measure an inch in 

 diameter, and a few were two inches in diameter. He transplanted 

 some small roots in a garden in Topeka. These roots grew very 

 rapidly. 



In the summer of 1892, the students of the pharmacy school of the 

 Kansas University collected and dried 150 pounds of the root from 

 the fields around and about Lawrence, but these roots were none of 

 them very large. From our own observations, we are inclined to 

 think that Mr. Baker's views are correct — the plant will thrive under 

 cultivation. 



The medicinal quality of echinacea seems to be unique. The last 

 edition of King's American Dispensatory devoted about seven pages 

 to the description of "the drug, its medicinal properties, etc. This 

 authority states: "Under the older classification of remedies, echi- 



