94 PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY. 



be seen, according to the dates upon which they were 

 written. 



THE ASIATIC GINSENG INDUSTRY AND MARKET 



Consul-General Rounsevelle Wildman, writing 

 from Hong Kong, January 7, 1898, says in United 

 States Consular Reports, Vol. 56 (1898) : 



"The price of ginseng, like the price of deerhorn, 

 is governed more by sentiment than by the law of 

 supply and demand. It depends upon the color, the 

 form and size, and its fancied resemblance to the human 

 body. Two pieces of ginseng, both weighing the same 

 and both of the same color and taken from the ground 

 at the same time, might vary one hundred per cent in 

 price; and yet there is no real reason, to occidental 

 eyes, for the distinction. The preferred variety is thin, 

 and has two lateral arms projecting from the stem. 



"Of course no such price as $100 an ounce is 

 ever under any circumstances paid for the American 

 growth, although I have seen mandarin ginseng that 

 was worth one hundred and thirty-five times its own 

 weight in silver. As a general statement, American 

 ginseng will sell here for $3 to $3.50 (gold) per pound. 

 It would not sell for less, and might, if properly ex- 

 ploited, bring ten times that much. I mean, if it were 

 exhibited in such a way that the Chinese could buy it, 

 piece by piece, as fish or chickens are bought, in the 

 public market, instead of by the quantity. 



"All the leading Chinese merchants come to this 

 consulate weekly, and samples of American ginseng 

 could be sent in care of the consulate, spread on a table, 

 and the Chinese merchants could send orders to Amer- 

 ica with the samples. The market for a good article is 

 practically unlimited. There are 400,000,000 Chinese, 

 and all to some extent use ginseng. If they can once 

 become satisfied with the results obtained from the tea 

 made of the American ginseng, the yearly demand will 



