ASIATIC GINSENG INDUSTRY AND MARKET. 95 



run up into the millions of dollars' worth. The man- 

 darin or imperial ginseng ($50 to $200 an ounce) is 

 beyond the reach of the majority, and the Korean gin- 

 seng is used more as a tonic than as a panacea. Hong 

 Kong is a free port, so the only expense of sending 

 ginseng would be freight across the continent and 

 across the Pacific to Hong Kong. 



"As to packing, that is a question to be decided on 

 the quality and condition of the article. Of course, the 

 crude root would come in tight boxes or barrels, but 

 the clarified would demand more care. If the exporter 

 wished to test the market in competition with the Man- 

 churian ginseng, I would advise him to pack in cotton, 

 so there could be no possible breakage, or even rubbing 

 of one root against another. In any case, the clarified 

 root rendered translucent by steaming, skimming, 

 and drying should be packed carefully, so as not to 

 break. 



"The little part or nub, where the arms join the 

 stem, is considered of far greater value than the lower 

 section, while the part above ground is not eaten at 

 all; it is supposed to be injurious. Consequently, if 

 the nub is broken off, two-thirds of the value of the 

 root would be gone. It must be attached to the body. 

 Good ginseng breaks easily." 



Only a few days later (January 24, 1898) Minister 

 Horace N. Allen wrote from Seoul, Korea, as follows : 



"Korea is noted for the superior excellence of its 

 ginseng, which brings a higher price in China than 

 that imported from other countries. Although the 

 Koreans, the Chinese, and, to a certain extent, the 

 Japanese, are greatly addicted to the use of this drug, 

 the Chinese, by virtue of their vast numbers, are the 

 chief purchasers of the root. The import of American 

 ginseng into China for the year 1896, according to 

 Chinese customs returns, was 264,860 catties, valued at 



