CLARIFICATION. 77 



would be acceptable to the Chinese, but k would hardly 

 be wise to undertake steaming on a large scale without 

 fuller information or careful experiment." 



Messrs. A. C. Hartzell & Co., Addison, Pa., 

 describe their method as follows : "Wash the roots 

 nice and clean, put water in some kind of a boiler or 

 kettle, put the ginseng in a sack and place in the kettle, 

 cover so as to keep in the steam, being careful not to 

 let the ginseng get in the water. Steam for three to 

 four hours, or until soft ; take out and dry. The gin- 

 seng must be green and not over a week old, and if 

 kept a week it should be damp so it does not start to 

 dry, as this will not make nice, clear ginseng. We 

 have handled thousands of pounds in this way, clarify- 

 ing some years as much as fifteen to twenty thousands 

 green." 



PROFITS 



The author believes that the evidence presented 

 in the section "Profits" in Part I is so strong in itself 

 that he need say little. It will doubtless be matter for 

 surprise to most readers to learn the facts contained in 

 the first letter quoted : namely, that Canada has no 

 export trade in ginseng. By referring to Page 3 it will 

 be seen that nearly two hundred years have elapsed 

 since American ginseng was discovered, and that the 

 discovery was made near Montreal, Canada. The 

 price paid for exported Canadian root rose to more 

 than five dollars a pound, but now the Canadian article 

 is unknown in China. Whether the injury done in 1752 

 by the shipment of inferior root is so well remembered 

 by the Chinese merchants that they no longer call for 

 Canadian ginseng, but rather shun it, or whether the 

 root in Canada is actually becoming extinct, the author 

 cannot say. He inclines to the latter view. He can 

 say, however, that the openings for a profitable indus- 

 try in Canada are excellent. It may be that direct 



