THE VEGETABLE PA TCH. 



209 



cultivation of the plants, and for walking 

 through the vines in harvesting the crop. If 

 the ground is rich very little barn manure is 

 needed ; but, if poor, it should have a liberal 

 application of well rotted manure. Nitrate 

 of soda, applied soon after setting the plants. 



will bring excellent results, especially if the 

 soil is rich in vegetable matter. Shallow 

 cultivation should commence soon after 

 planting and be continued for at least four 

 or five weeks, until the vines begin to cover 

 the ground. 



GINSENG GROWING IN ONTARIO 



W. T. MACOUN, CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM. 



Is much ginseng- grown in Ontario, and if so, 

 with what success ? I am thinking of grow- 

 ing some. — (A Reader. 



F'- OR information regarding the culture 

 of ginseng I would suggest that 

 reader write to the Pennsylvania state col- 

 lege experiment station, State College, Pa., 

 for a bulletin on this subject. There is also 

 a little pamphlet, published a few years ago, 

 called American Ginseng, by the American 

 Ginseng Gardens, Rose Hill, N, Y. This 

 might also be obtained on application. 



As a great many persons are becoming in- 

 terested in the culture of Ginseng I should 

 like to quote from an editorial in the Rural 

 New Yorker of April 2, 1904. This edi- 

 torial sums up in a reasonable way the pros- 

 pects from growing ginseng. It reads : 



" We have received a number of letters 

 like the following : 



" There is getting to be a sort of craze 

 over the raising of ginseng roots in this part 

 of the state. There are big stories of enor- 

 mous profits going the rounds. If you could 

 get at the truth of the matter from those 

 who have had experience with it, you would 

 confer a great favor upon many who are 

 about to invest in it." 



Craze ' seems a mild term to apply to 

 the way some people talk about this crop. 



Plant cucumbers as early in the spring as 

 danger of frost is over, in holes 5 feet apart 

 each way. Fifteen or 20 seeds should be 

 placed in each hole and covered a 3^ inch 

 deep. After danger of bugs and worms is 



* * * Millions of roots and seeds 

 have been planted, and some of the gardens 

 are looking well. Prices for young plants 

 are very high, and fortunes have been made 

 in sel'ing these plants for transplanting. So 

 far as we can learn very little, if any of the 

 cultivated root has been offered for sale. 

 We believe that thus far the trade in gin- 

 seng has been almost entirely in plants and 

 seeds intended to start new beds. 



" If 20 per cent, of the roots thus sold 

 ever grow large enough for commercial pur- 

 poses the market will be glutted. Why do 

 we say this? Scientific men find little if 

 any virtue in the ginseng root. * * * 



" While the Chinese will for years con- 

 tinue to demand ginseng, we think such de- 

 mand will inevitably grow less. Should 

 any large proportion of the plants now 

 growing come to marketable size the limited 

 market will be overstocked, with no possi- 

 ble outlet for the surplus. We doubt, how- 

 ever, if many of such plants will be heard 

 from. If we haa tue money that has been 

 paid for seeds and roots that never grew we 

 could feed a good many thousand poor peo- 

 ple, ^loney and care put into some stand- 

 ard crop will in the long run bring better re- 

 turns for most people." 



over, thin to four of the strongest plants in a 

 hole. It is desirable to enrich the bottom 

 of the holes with well rotted manure which 

 should be well mixed with the soil.— .(D. M- 

 Ferry, Windsor, Ont. 



