116 GOLDEN SEAL. 



Cultivation.- Once so abundant in certain parts of the 

 country, especially in the Ohio Valley, goldenseal is now becom- 

 ing scarce throughout its range, and in consequence of the in- 

 creased demand for the root, both at home and abroad, its cultiva- 

 tion must sooner or later be more generally undertaken in order to 

 satisfy the needs of medicine. In some parts of the country the 

 cultivation of goldenseal is already under way. 



The first thing to be considered in growing this plant is to 

 furnish it, as nearly as possible, the conditions to which it has 

 been accustomed in its natural forest home. This calls for a well- 

 drained soil, rich in humus, and partially shaded. Goldenseal 

 stands transplanting well, and the easiest way to propagate it is 

 to bring the plants in from the forest and transplant them to a 

 properly prepared location, or to collect the rootstocks and to cut 

 them into as many pieces as there are buds, planting these pieces 

 in a deep, loose, well-prepared soil, and mulching, adding new 

 mulch each year to renew the humus. With such a soil the culti- 

 vation of goldenseal is simple, and it will be necessary chiefly to 

 keep down the weeds. 



These plants may be grown in rows 1 foot apart and 6 in- 

 ches apart in the row, or they may be grown in beds 4 to 8 feet 

 wide, with walks between. Artificial shade will be necessary, 

 and this is supplied by the erection of lath sheds. The time re- 

 quired to obtain a marketable crop is from two to three years- 



