PROFITS. 49 



for the cultivated root, the supply as yet being too small 

 to quote separately. It may, therefore, be interesting 

 to examine the results attained by Mr. George Stanton, 

 the pioneer grower of this root in America. He fur- 

 nished the following details to American Agriculturist: 



"The season of 1898 was fairly favorable for ginseng 

 culture, though the early part of the season was rather 

 wet, which resulted in some loss of planjbs and roots 

 from rot, while drouth in June and July was unfavor- 

 able to best development of seed crop. But taken alto- 

 gether, I have no reason to complain. Plants in garden 

 were splendid, many thousand standing 20 to. 30 inches 

 high, spreading 20 to 28 inches from tip to tip of leaves, 

 with magnificent seed heads, presenting a very showy 

 appearance when ripening ; plants with 20 and 25 leaflets 

 predominating, and a considerable number of roots pro- 

 ducing twin plants. One root taken up in the fall of 

 '97 weighed five ounces, and had germs [buds] for five 

 separate and distinct plants. I put it back into the 

 ground, and the past season it sent up five nice plants 

 with five perfect seed heads. Shall let it grow three or 

 four seasons and note results. Four plants to one root 

 is the most I bad ever observed before. 



"Ginseng responds to good treatment. The seed 

 crop from less than 24 rods of ground was about 30 

 pounds, or about 240,000 seeds. I have, at present time, 

 about 30 square rods of ground stocked with root in 

 garden under artificial shade, about 75,000 seedling 

 roots in forest nursery, and about 120,000 seeds to be 

 sown next fall to produce plants in spring of 1900. 



"My grounds, up to present time, have produced 

 165 pounds of dry, marketable root, which sold for 

 $900, the product of less than 10 square rods of ground 

 in 11 years. Not a large showing for the time, I admit. 

 I could have done much better on this line but for the 

 demands for stock for cultivation. The crop of 1898, 

 4 



