75 



| 



planting them vertically are : (1) That water may be evenly 

 applied to the whole root ; (2) to prevent the roots from dividing 

 and spreading into fine rootlets, sometimes known as ■ beard ' ; 

 and (ft) that they may be readily inspected. When the roots are 

 so subject to blight, it is a matter of great importance to be able 

 to inspect them without disturbance. "When the plant is five, six, 

 or seven years old, the root is dug up and handed over to the 

 Government. As to the profitableness of sam-growing as an 

 investment, of course, something large would naturally be expected 

 when one has to wait from five to seven years for a return. From 

 the best information — though it can hardly be considered abso- 

 lutely reliable — a profit of about 60 per cent, is generally made on 

 the original outlay and running expenses. 



" During the drying process, the roots will lose two-thirds of 

 their weight. They are first thoroughly washed, and are then 

 brushed with brushes made of human hair. Packed in baskets 

 2 feet in diameter and 6 inches deep, they are placed in an 

 earthenware steamer. The duration of the steaming is determined 

 by the burning of a torch made of the bark and fibre of the locust* 

 tree. For seven-year-old roots, 4^ inches are burnt ; for six-year- 

 old, 3| inches ; and for five-year-old, 2f inches. The Coreans 

 reckon that this is more reliable than timing by a watch ! After 

 steaming, they are exposed to the sun till they stop steaming, and 

 after a little longer exposure are carried to the drying house. 

 The drying-house is rendered perfectly air-tight, and the roots are 

 placed in trays placed on shelves all round the house. Then three 



jilted in holes in the ground. In half a 



day the sam is taken out" and it then appears red and so hard that 

 it will not yield to the touch. The rootlets are then cut off 

 with scissors. For about ten days the roots are exposed to the 

 sun until they are as hard as stone. In this state they are so 

 brittle that they will break if dropped on the floor, so it would be 

 impossible to pack them without injury. A foreigner would pack 

 them in cotton wool, hut not so the Corean. He simply puts the 

 roots in a hamper, which he places on the earthen floor of a damp 

 storeroom. In a short while, the roots soften; they are then 

 removed to a room with heated stone floor, and spread out covered 

 with sheets of oil-paper, being. thus left until they are so soft that 

 they will yield to the touch. They can now be easily packed 

 in paper bags and pressed into pinewood boxes without fear of 

 injury. After being packed they again harden, becoming adjusted 

 to the shape of the box." 



A previous brief reference to Ginseng in Corea was given in 



Kew 



An account of Ginseng in America 



in Kew 



m 



that 



attention. It may of course be due merely to a typographical 

 error for 60s. per ounce. But even if this be assumed, the prices 

 cited call for examination. It is not easy to obtain definite 

 figures in matters of this kind, but the following note, on the 

 trade of Newchwang, contained in the Decennial Report for 

 1882-91 of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs, deserves 

 careful consideration :— " So much has been written about the 



27432 



A 2 



