GINSENG. 



449 



were having^ good success in raisins^ the root under cultivation. Se- 

 curing such information as was then available 1 planted a small 

 bed of wild roots five years ago and have been adding to it every 

 fall all the roots that I could dig or buy. 



Ginseng does best in a rich, loose soil, preferably on new land. My 

 first beds were planted in the woods, after having plowed the ground 

 ten or twelve inches deep and forked it over to remove all roots and 

 trash. They were planted with the bud, or crown, about two inches 

 deep, the'plants being set about a foot apart. 



The plants set in the woods have made a good growth and have 

 had good crops of seed every year since the first year. I did not 



Plants and seed of cultivated ginseng. 



Ik 



^alv/ays succeed in harvesting the seed, as the mice stole almost all 

 of two crops in the woods. Poisoned corn was left untouched; the 

 only way to save a crop of seed was to make a tight board fence 

 about two feet high and cover the joints and corners with a short 

 board projecting over, and set traps al) arc and; I caught about one 

 hundred this year and almost as many last season. 



As the plant is propagated from seed, one must know how to 

 handle the seed before he can have much success in growing gin- 

 seng. If seed gets thoroughly dry for any length of time only a very 

 few will sprout, and if stored or planted in too wet a place they will 

 rot. Some plant as soon as picked, others store in boxes, mixing the 

 seed with sand or dirt. 



Care must be taken to keep the seed moist from time of picking 

 tmtil it comes up, which is usually eighteen months ; if the seed is 



