72 PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY. 



smaller in size and more pithy in substance than north- 

 ern root. Under cultivation, our observations so far 

 have been that the root is increased almost to the size 

 of the northern cultivated root. However, the north- 

 ern root is much smoother on the surface and we think 

 somewhat whiter. This last item, color, is influenced 

 somewhat by the soil. Proportionately, southern root 

 shows a greater improvement under cultivation than 

 the northern; this is partly due to the inferior quality 

 of the wild root. We think it can be still further im- 

 proved and that it will be further improved, as it takes 

 some time to change the characteristics of the plant." 



CULTIVATED VERSUS WILD ROOT 



Comparing the statements of dealers and growers 

 one with another and with those of the consuls, it will 

 be seen that the claims made for cultivated root in Part 

 I (Page 40) are being realized in the small quantities 

 of cultivated ginseng that are being marketed. The 

 statements which the author made in the place referred 

 to seem to need no revision, since the qualities size, 

 weight, form and smoothness are found more fre- 

 quently in garden ginseng than in wild. The culti- 

 vated plants have other advantages of which Mr. Sears 

 speaks as follows : 



"In November, 1900, I took from my nursery fifty 

 six-year-old, cultivated roots from the seeds ; their 

 weight, green, was eight pounds ; dried, three and one- 

 sixteenth pounds, and sold for a fraction over thirty- 

 six cents each. It will be remembered that these roots 

 produced a fine crop of seed each year after the first. 

 The two best roots together weighed eight ounces, 

 green ; when dried one weighed one and one-half 

 ounces, the other, one and three-fourths. The two 

 roots together sold for a fraction over $1.21." 



With respect to cultivated versus wild roots, Mr. 

 Hart says : "As an illustration the wild roots, in gen- 



