1916] Cultivation of Crude Drug Plants 169 



ful ferns and delicate mosses that cover the slopes. These, for the 

 most part, are identical with species found in the mountains of the 

 northern states, and many are common to similar situations in the 

 Old Country; some, however, seem confined to our own mountains. 



"Wallace Brothers established a drug firm in Statesville a num- 

 ber of years ago for the purpose of buying, milling, and selling 

 crude drugs. This firm advised country merchants that they would 

 pay good prices for certain dried plants, and the merchants in turn 

 told the country people that they could sell roots, herbs, etc., just 

 as they could corn and wheat. Wallace Brothers are still in busi- 

 ness in Statesville and have done a great work for the people of the 

 State, especially the farmers of certain western counties. There 

 are also several farms in the mountains devoted to raising drug 

 plants. The more pretentious of these are the Sandidge Ginseng 

 Gardens, at Bryson City, the "Waynesville Ginseng Gardens, and 

 Toms's Farm, at Hendersonville. A few years ago S. B. Penick & 

 Co., of N^ew York, established a branch of their crude drug firm at 

 Marion and are engaged in the same line of work as Wallace 

 Brothers, of Statesville. E. G, McGuire & Co., of Asheville, are 

 also crude drug merchants. 



In spite of these activities upon the part of crude drug growers 

 and merchants, the industry is still in its infancy and in great need 

 of stimulation. Some of the rural schools are teaching the recog- 

 nition, collection, and proper curing of a few of the more important 

 drug plants, and doubtless this subject will be given more attention 

 in the schools, from now on, especially schools in the mountainous 

 portions of the State. 



The following drug plants have been obtained from this State. 

 Many of them grow naturally, many more can be readily culti- 

 vated where the demand and market price is sufiicient to justify the 

 ventures. This list does not represent all the medicinal plants 

 which have been found in North Carolina by any means, but per- 

 haps covers the commoner ones. Many of them are collected and 

 sold to "patent medicine" firms : 



NATIVE AND CULTIVATED DRUG PLANTS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



I. Official. — American or Green Hellebore (Veratrum vinde), 

 Blackberry Bark (Ruhus villosus, etc.), Black Haw (Viburnum 

 prunifolium) , Black Snake Boot {Cimicifuga racemosa), Blood 



