144 THREE ACRES AND LIBERTY 



open woods, and was formerly found in great abundance in 

 Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia, but is now so 

 rare that its price has risen from thirty-five cents wholesale 

 in 1898 to over seventy-five cents a pound. Persons in 

 different parts of the country have undertaken the produc- 

 tion of Golden Seal on a commercial scale. More than six 

 hundred dollars' worth can be grown on an acre : so a crop 

 this year would be a fortune. The methods of raising it can 

 be ascertained upon application to the Department of Agri- 

 culture. 



Ginseng is one of the drug crops which paid handsome 

 returns a few years ago, perhaps because it takes from five 

 to seven years to grow from seeds ; but so many went into 

 that line that few men to-day make anything at it. Further- 

 more, the Chinese, who use a large part of it, will buy only 

 the wild roots and they know the difference. Those who 

 control the trade have burned quantities in the effort to keep 

 up the price. 



There are some drug plants which might be raised with 

 success by those who would specialize in one plant, but the 

 lesson we learn from ginseng should act as a warning. 



Raising drugs is one of those things that seems to be more 

 profitable to teach others to do than to do yourself. A well- 

 known Professor said to me : " If I were twenty-five and knew 

 what I know about drugs and the market for them, I should 

 go into the drug-raising business. But I should expect to 

 lose money for some years. If I were a small clerk, say, or 

 an old man who wanted to get out of city life, and I had $500 

 I really wanted to venture in drug raising, I should divide 

 it in half half I should put in the bank and the other half 

 I should throw into the Hudson River. Then I should be 

 sure of $250 instead of being drawn on to spend it all." 



