ASIATIC GINSENG INDUSTRY AND MARKET. 99 



second is rather opaque and otherwise resembles 

 the first. 



"My correspondent's lot embraces values all the 

 way from $12 to $40 Mexican per catty (one catty 

 equals one and one-third pounds), while the dust will 

 not bring over $2 Mexican a pound. These prices are 

 quite satisfactory, considering his statement regarding 

 New York quotations. There is no reason why there 

 should not be a large and growing market for Amer- 

 ican ginseng, and I would like to see it thoroughly 

 exploited. This can be done only by sending a trial 

 shipment of, say, two thousand pounds of selected 

 pieces, the large pieces, of course, being the best. 



"Instead of shipping to this consulate in the future, 

 I would recommend that all merchants correspond 

 direct with Mr. A. O'D. Gourdin, of Hong Kong, who 

 is personally known to me and who would give the 

 matter his careful attention. There are no Chinese 

 firms here with whom it would be possible for the 

 American exporter to deal direct. The American 

 ginseng that comes to this market is for the most part 

 purchased by Chinese firms located in New York and 

 shipped hither at a great profit to themselves, so that 

 it would be very much to the advantage of the Amer- 

 ican exporter to deal direct with a responsible agent 

 here. I trust that this report will be read in connection 

 with my previous one, for I believe that if the exporter 

 will follow out the directions contained in both, there 

 will be little difficulty in disposing on this coast of all 

 the ginseng that is grown in America." 



On January 28, 1902, Consul-General W. A. Rublee 

 writes an article with the same title in United States 

 Consular Reports, Vol. 69, which article is also quoted 

 in full : 



"The sale of ginseng root grown in America, 

 about which there have been several inquiries at this 

 consulate by interested parties in the United States, is 



