CULTIVATED VERSUS WILD ROOT. Ce 



for many years. Six dollars have been offered several 

 times last season for cultivated root. And it may be 

 taken as a general rule that dealers, in buying ginseng, 

 or in fact any commodity, will give a higher price for the 

 better grades of roots, whether cultivated or wild. The 

 former certainly is much superior to the latter, as 

 generally offered. 



Again, it is believed that the distinction made with 

 regard to the locality in which the root grows would fre- 

 quently be set aside, and a higher price paid for the 

 produce of the beds than for wild root from the same 

 locality, or even a more favored region. For instance, 

 southern root is quoted low, and northern high, because 

 the former is poorer both in size and in appearance. 

 But if ginseng were cultivated in the south it might be 

 expected to command not only higher prices than are 

 usually offered for wild roots from its locality, but prices 

 equal to or greater than those offered for northern 

 wild root. 



PREPARATION FOR MARKET. 



In digging, which is the first step in the preparation 

 of the root for market, be careful to take up the roots 

 without breaking them, since whole roots command 

 higher prices than mutilated ones. If the digging be 

 started at one end of the bed, taking only one row at a 

 time, by putting the spade on the outside, less injury 

 should occur than if the plants were dug from the end of 

 the row or from the inside of it. Digging may be com- 

 menced as soon as the plants have died down in the 

 autumn, only large roots being selected for drying. 

 Replant all the undersized ones in a bed previously pre- 

 pared for them. By undersized is meant all roots weigh- 

 ing less than, say, two ounces. This method will save 

 work in washing and drying, the roots will suffer less 

 shrinkage in drying, will command a higher price 

 because of their better size and uniformity, and for the 



