*>'>, 



GINSENG. 



money. In place of getting rich their pocketbooks were growing 

 short, their faces looked long and the wrinkles of their smiles went 

 straight up and down. 



As an actual grower the author can say that he has always 

 found a ready market for his cultivated ginseng and knows from 

 personal investigations made that in China a materially higher 

 price is being paid for good cultivated roots, than for the wild as 

 is indicated by a letter from Mr. Fung Tang, who is said to be one 

 of the largest dealers in ginseng at Hongkong, China, with agents 

 at San Francisco, Cal. His letter, in reply to an inquiry made, is 

 as follows: 



"Hongkong, 5th. November, 1909. 

 Per S. S. Empress of China. 

 Mr. J. H. Koehler, 



Wausau, Wis. 

 Dear Sir: — 



I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of August 

 31st., and note contents of same. 



"Market. I am aware the growers as a rule sell to the 

 New York market, but you know eventually the goods get to this 

 country where there is a tremendous demand. Hongkong not 

 only uses the roots, but it is practically the distributing center, and 

 thus I am in position to handle any quantity, far more than what 

 you ever can offer. It is my opinion that you can do better by 

 shipping direct to this market, thus saving the middleman com- 

 mission. 



"In respect to overproduction of the goods you need enter- 

 tain no fear, as said above we can use more than you can offer. 



"Quality. To explain this would be absolutely impossible. 

 Chinese connoisseurs divide the goods into numerous classes, and 

 they only seem to understand the difference, and no one else. 



