42 GINSENG. 



stream of water on them with a hose. In this manner all danger 

 arising from scrubbing is avoided. Scrubbing is dangerous, for if 

 the outside skin of the root is broken, it reduces the market value. 

 If water is handy, one man can clean two thousand pounds in this 

 manner in a day. 



DRYING ROOTS. Immediately after cleaning, the roots should be 

 put into a warm, airy room, with a temperature of not less than sixty 

 nor more than eighty degrees for the first few days. Later on, after 

 the roots are wilted, the warmth may be increased to ninety de- 

 grees, but warmer than ninety degrees should be avoided for it is 

 likely to cause the roots to turn dark in the center, while cooler, 

 or too slow drying, will cause the roots to sour, and produce dark 

 spots on the surface. Such roots, when broken, will show dark 

 rings, which counts against the quality. If properly dried, the 

 inside of the roots will have a white appearance and command the 

 higher prices in the market. When the roots are put into the dry- 

 ing room, they may be spread thinly on the floor or on shelves 

 made of wire screen. During the process of drying it is well to 

 air the room thoroughly every two or three days. 



When the roots have become partly dry, sufficiently that 

 all fibrous rootlets to the size of a parlor match are brittle, these 

 fibrous rootlets should be removed. This can be done by rubbing 

 individual roots with the hand, but a quicker way is to put eight 

 to ten pounds at a time into an ordinary grain sack, and taking 

 hold with one hand at each end of the sack, shake the roots from 

 one end of the sack to the other. Fifteen or twenty shakes will 

 remove nearly all fibers. The roots must then be separated from 

 the fibers and respread for drying. The fibers may also be spread 

 for a few days more to allow them to become thoroughly dry, 

 when they may be put into a sack or box, and are ready for the 

 market; or, if market conditions are not favorable at the time, 



