66 PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY. 



The decay of the humus you add should supply all the 

 nitrogen necessary. If not, it may easily be added in 

 the form of manure, or nitrate of soda. 



ENEMIES 



Since the preparation of the first edition, no new 

 or specially troublesome enemies have appeared in the 

 ginseng plantations. Slugs and snails have caused 

 some damage, but it is believed they may be combated 

 without danger to the plants by sprinkling finely pow- 

 dered fresh quicklime upon both plants and beds as 

 soon as these creatures arrive. It tends to dry up the 

 animals and thus destroy them. Snails and slugs are 

 generally most active during the night, and should 

 their presence be suspected, the grower should come 

 out after dark to make inspection. The lime is not a 

 poison and will not do the soil any harm but, if applied 

 in reasonable quantities, rather good. 



Mr. Stanton calls special attention to nematode 

 worms which attack the roots. These pests may be 

 expected in any plantation, but fortunately they have 

 not spread very generally as yet. No satisfactory 

 remedy has been suggested; the only practices as yet 

 tried are heating the soil, or freezing it. 



Concerning the most important enemies of gin- 

 seng men, mice and moles Mr. Sears and Mr. Kel- 

 sey make the following statements : 



"Moles must be kept out. The best way to get 

 rid of them is to watch for them and when one of them 

 is observed moving the soil, quickly step in behind it, 

 dig it out and destroy it. We have a ground mouse 

 with a short tail like that of the mole; they eat the 

 roots. The only remedy I know for them is poisoned 

 bait. I soak a few grains of corn in water with strych- 

 nine, drop in their burrows ; they follow in the burrows 

 made by the mole, or work along just beneath the 

 leaves on the beds in the loose soil, and begin to eat on 



