24 GINSENG. 



"Paching. The article should be packed in barrels, but first 

 into a large bag made of some coarse drill or white shirting. 



"Fibers or Hair. Thin fibers attached to the roots are also 

 salable here. The fibers, of course, must be removed from the 

 roots and must be shipped separately. The value is about $200 to 

 $400 per picul. 



"With nothing more for the present, I remain. Dear Sir, 

 \ours Faithfully, Fung Tang." 



Under what Mr. Fung Tang says of quality, of what shape, 

 color, texture, size, etc., the roots must be in order to command 

 the highest price, is not to be understood that these requirements 

 are necessary simply to satisfy the Chinese superstitious ideas, but 

 these conditions are necessary to make up the quality of the arti- 

 cle; and all these things can only be obtained by proper methods 

 of cultivation and preparation for the market. Nor did the wild 

 root at one time bring a higher price because it had grown with- 

 out the aid of man, but because some of the cultivated which was 

 brought upon the market was of inferior quality, caused by the 

 application of improper methods in growing and preparing it for 

 the market — We would hardly think that the Chinese were doing 

 us justice if they should accuse us of superstition when a juicy 

 apple brings a better price in our market than a dry or mealy one, 

 or that we are ready to pay more for a nice red-cheeked apple than 

 for one without any particular color. 



