76 PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY. 



toms of the earthenware vessels are five holes two 

 inches in diameter. Water is boiled in the iron vessels, 

 the steam rising and filling the upper vessels through 

 these holes. 



" 'The small baskets containing the roots having 

 been placed in the earthen vessel and the latter tightly 

 closed, the steaming process goes on for from one and 

 a half to four hours, when the roots are removed and 

 taken to the drying house. This is a long building 

 containing racks of bamboo poles, on which in rows 

 are placed flat drying baskets. Under the floor of the 

 house, at intervals of three or four feet, are fireplaces, 

 the smoke from which passes out of small holes in the 

 back of the house under the floor level. In the baskets 

 of the drying house the roots are spread and the fires 

 kept going constantly for about ten days, when the 

 roots are supposed to be cured. From here they are 

 packed for the market in rectangular willow baskets 

 closely lined with paper to exclude moisture. 



" 'During this process the roots become very 

 toughly hard, and their color changes from carroty 

 white to nearly a cherrywood red. They break hard 

 but crisply, exhibiting a shiny, glassy fracture, trans- 

 lucent, dark red. The ginseng resulting from this 

 process is called hong-sam (red ginseng), and is the 

 article prohibited from export from Korea in all the 

 treaties made by Korea with the western powers. It 

 is the most common ginseng seen in Korea and by far 

 the majority of it is produced in the Songto section.' 



"The treatment last described is doubtless that 

 which is most properly called 'clarification/ since 

 specimens purchased in Korea, through the Depart- 

 ment of State, and now in the pharmacological collec- 

 tion of the Division of Botany, answer the description 

 given by Mr. Foulk. Similar specimens were also seen 

 in Mr. Stanton's museum. Doubtless American skill 

 can produce an article by some such method which 



