Ginseng and Its Culture 



THE ginseng family is an interesting 

 one to the student of nature. There 

 are, at least, five different members 

 of this family found in our Canadian 

 woods. Some are very common, others 

 are rarely found. Aralia Trifolia oi 

 groundnut is easily found in the early 

 springtime in rich woods. Aralia Nudi- 

 caulis or Wild Sarsaparilla, is also com- 

 mon to most woods, while Aralia Race- 

 mosa and Aralia Hispida, the former 

 commonly known as Spikenard, and the 

 latter as Hirsute or Bristly Sarsaparilla 

 (cf. Wild Elder) are not so common, and 

 therefore, not so generally known. 



It is with Aralia Quinquefolia or Gin- 

 seng that this paper deals. It grows in 

 rich, dry, shady woods. The leaves are 

 in a whorl of three at the top of the stem, 

 the latter being from twelve to eighteen 

 inches high. Each leaf stem has five 

 leaves, in the fully developed plant. The 

 flowers are dull in color, small, and in- 

 significant. When ripe the berries are 

 a britjht red in color and are not un- 

 pleasant to the taste. They are borne 

 in a cluster or bunch upon a stem in the 

 centre of the whorl of leaves. This is 

 by far the most interesfij^g member of 

 the ginseng family. 



It is generally conceded that the root 

 has certain therapeutics. However, 

 in America, its use in medicine is com- 

 paratively new, but in China and other 

 eastern countries it is extensively used. 

 As far as I am able to learn its medi- 

 cinal qualities are soporific, anodyne, 

 nerve tonic and slightly laxative. 



Historically speaking it may be said, 

 that this plant was first discovered in 

 Canada. In the early years of the 

 eighteenth century, some Jesuit priests 

 in eastern Ontario, in their earnest and 

 self-denying labors among the aborigines 

 of this country, are credited with dis- 

 covering the plant and gathering large 

 quantities of its root. It is now known 

 to have been found scattered over a large 

 area of the American continent. 



There is no better strain of ginseng 

 known than that found growing in our 

 Canadian woods. At the present time, 

 it is well nigh exterminated. Sometimes 

 one may search for days and not find a 

 single plant. Rightly or wrongly the 

 Indians are charged with exterminating 

 it from our forests. As a rule they dig it 

 when and where ever it is found. I 

 am of the opinion, that the Ontario Gin- 

 seng Growers Association, might, do 

 well to seek legislation protecting this 

 valuable plant from the ravages of men. 

 If a law were enacted, making it lawful 

 to dig the root only in the month of 

 October, it would be certainly a step in 

 the right direction. By the end of Sep- 

 tember, as a rule, the seeds have ripen- 



By Hugill Barr, Box 614, Forest, Ontario 



ed and have fallen and thus a chance is 

 left , at least, that new plants will start 

 into existence. Only a very few white 

 men gather the wild root, for very few 

 know it as it grows amid.st the profusion 

 of plant life usually found in our Can- 

 adian woods. 



The Chinese and Koreans, almost, if 

 not quite, venerate the ginseng plant. 

 It is small wonder that they do. Speci- 

 ally is this true, if the root be in the 

 shape of a miniature man, as indeed 

 many of them are. Full oft the Korean, 

 who is successful in his search for the 

 wild root, is considered to have found 

 favor with the gods. It is not an un- 

 known thing for a Korean, anxious to 

 find this wonderful plant and equal- 

 ly anxious to find the favor of 

 the deities, to continue his search until 

 overtaxed nature gives up the game and 

 he lies down to die, on the hillside of 

 his beloved Korea. 



GINSENG OTTLTtTRE 



In the cultivation of ginseng there are 

 really few secrets to be known. The 

 plant, being indigenous to Canada, is 

 perefctly hardy. Nature is a wise 

 teacher, and the ginseng grower will do 

 well to observe her suggestions and laws 

 with reference to the natural conditions 

 of the life of this plant, as it is found in 

 the woods. The writer invariably makes 

 a study of the soil, situation, conditions 

 of growth and general surroundings of 

 every wild plant he finds. To keep near 

 to nature is safe procedure. 



The wild plant is not always found to 

 be thrifty. Sometimes the shade is too 

 dense, and the ground is too hard and 

 unyielding or perhaps too moist. Ano- 

 ther thing to be considered is the ex- 

 posure of the plant to injury through 

 accident. All these things, and many 

 other considerations, will appeal to the 

 ginseng grower. Given a rich, deep, 

 alluvial soil, well drained, and in a loca- 

 tion where the air, unhindered, circu- 

 lates freely, and all that follows is easy. 

 Cultivate deeply and finely in preparing 

 the ground, being careful to remove all 

 stones, sticks, and roots. By all means 

 have the ground sufficiently rich — as 

 rich as needed for onion growing — be- 

 fore planting begins. 



The best way to make up the prepared 

 ground is to shape it into beds five feet 

 wide, with a two foot walk between. 

 The edge of the bed can be kept in shape 

 by running a narrow board along the 

 sides, and staking it securely in its 

 place. Of course, no weeds should be 

 allowed to grow either among the roots 

 or in the walks. 



PLANTING 



In planting a good way is to set the 

 roots about eight inches apart each way, 



being careful to place the root two or 

 three inches below the surface of the 

 ground. A plan that works well is to 

 dig a narrow, deep trench across the 

 bed, and place the roots in the trench 

 with the hand, straightening out, as far 

 as possible, all fibrous roots before fill- 

 ing around with earth. If a crop is de- 

 sired for drying, the best result will be 

 obtained by maturing the rt>ot where the 

 seed is planted. A better, marketable 

 root is obtained by not transplanting. 

 Of course, in some instances, it is found 

 necessary to plant the seed thickly, and 

 later transplant, say, when plants are 

 a year old. Budless roots, in live con- 

 dition, take a year to form new buds, 

 during which time the grower will look 

 in vain for the stems. To protect the 

 buds, do not allow any scratch-of, or 

 walking upon the planted beds. 



SHADING 



Shading is perhaps the most expensive 

 part of ginseng culture. Of course, 

 every one knows that it grows in the 

 shade. Some growers, who possess 

 suitable woodlands, grow their ginseng 

 there in the natural shade and do well. 

 This saves the time, labor and expense 

 of artificial shade. However, if shading 

 must be built place the posts that sup- 

 port the shading in the centre of the 

 bed. Place scantling or straight poles 

 from post to post, fastening each end 

 securely to the top of the posts. MaKC 

 the shade sufficiently high that men can 

 walk under it without danger or diffi- 

 culty. Use lath, or any kind of strip to 

 make the shade. Make it into sections 

 of convenient size for you. Plan the 

 overhead work so that the shade sec- 

 tions will fit — no overlapping is neces- 

 sary. Lath placed one half inch apart 

 will make shade dense enough. Pos- 

 sibly, on the south and west sides of 

 j'our garden, you might have to place 

 shade to protect the edges of the beds 

 from the sun. 



Surround the garden with woven wire 

 fencing six feet high. Be sure Ithe 

 meshes are small enough to keep out 

 chickens, cats and other animals. Keep 

 all animals out of the ginseng garaen 

 except toads. They are the friends of 

 the grower. As soon as the seed is ripe 

 in the autumn the shading can be re- 

 moved and piled awaj- under cover. 

 Some growers use wire to anchor the 

 sections of shade in their places on the 

 overhead work. Old gas pipes, cut the 

 right length, make good posts. Use a 

 flat stone or a square of cement for a 

 base. 



In the culture of ginseng attention to a 

 few things will often work wonders. If 

 your garden is surrounded by a close 



