20 THE GINSENG INDUSTRY. 



The deeper the soil, the better. It should also be 

 underlaid with, some porous subsoil to insure natural 

 drainage, which for this crop, particularly when grown 

 in the woods, is much more desirable than drainage by 

 artificial means. Moreover, artificial drainage of forest 

 beds would often be attended with much inconvenience 

 and expense, owing to the liability of tile or other arti- 

 ficial channels to be clogged by tree roots, especially 

 where elm, willow and such water-loving trees grow not 

 far off. 



If the beds be upon the level, as all garden and 

 orchard beds should be, the subsoil should never be clay, 

 hard pan or rock, because, owing to their shallowness, 

 such formations are sure to be too wet in the spring, 

 autumn and winter, and too dry in summer. In the 

 forest these adverse conditions are more or less overcome 

 by the natural mulches of leaves, but even in the woods 

 such situations should be avoided, if possible. In win- 

 ter, unless the beds be veny carefully mulched, the 

 plants will be very liable to be heaved out and destroyed 

 by frost. If, however, the hard subsoil or rock be some 

 inches below the frost line there should be little danger 

 of injury from frost or from drying out in summer, pro- 

 vided the soil be good, and well mulched. If the loca- 

 tion of the bed be upon a^ slope, particularly if it be 

 situated near the top, the presence of an impenetrable 

 subsoil, especially in summer, is of small consequence, 

 since the excess water will be almost sure to drain away 

 naturally before damage could occur. 



But while it is important to carry off the excess 

 water, do not suppose that the beds should be dry. 

 Ginseng will not thrive in such soil, while freshly gath- 

 ered seed planted in it, as already described, and thus 

 exposed during the hot months of summer, will be snre 

 to perish. The most important point to consider, in 

 choosing the soil even more important than depth, 



