2 GINSENG. 



which answered well the description of the Chinese ginseng, as 

 given by Father Jartoux, a missionary in China in the early part 

 of the eighteenth century. This discovery was made near 

 Montreal, Canada, in 1716. 



Soon afterwards the French began collecting it, through the 

 agency of the Indians, for export to China- The demand thus 

 created was so large that ginseng presently became an important 

 article of commerce in Canada. The first consignments were very 

 profitable to the traders, the root valued at but 2 francs per pound 

 in Quebec, (1 franc=.19tcts-), selling as high as 25 francs in China. 

 At that time the Company of the Indies controlled the trade with 

 that country. At first they allowed the officers of their vessels to 

 carry ginseng as a private speculation, supposing that the trade 

 would amount to little. In 1751, however, perceiving that the 

 commerce in the root was becoming extensive, they withdrew this 

 privilege and assumed the trade themseh^es. Ginseng was at this 

 time worth about 12 francs per pound in Canada, but tiie company 

 soon paid 3?> francs for it. The trade continued to advance until 

 1752, when, in the effort to meet an excessive demand from France, 

 a poor lot of roots was placed on the market. The merchants at 

 Rochelle directed their agents in Quebec to purchase ginseng at 

 any price. The agents, accordingly, caused a large amount to be 

 collected out of season, and this was improperly dried in ovens. 

 Even the poor material thus obtained brought about 25 francs per 

 pound in Quebec, and a quantity was shipped to Rochelle, amount- 

 ing in value to 500,000 francs. A part of this was sent to China, 

 where people refused to use it. The Canadian product thus 

 acquired a bad reputation among the Chinese, so that by 1754 the 

 trade was reduced to a value of 33,000 francs, and soon afterwards 

 entirely ceased. 



