188 HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 
caused us a good deal of trouble in the past year is the question of 
ginseng culture. JI want to show you here the seed of the ginseng, 
which is put on the market as a substitute for the American gin- 
seng seed and which involves a total loss to the grower, and which 
otherwise would result in thousands of dollars in profit. It is a pure 
adulteration. And in addition to that, we are trying to keep the peo- 
ple from going into ginseng growing. There is a legitimate profit in 
ginseng of about $1,000,000 a year. The natural export crop can be 
rown on 50 acres of land, but from those thousands of requests 
rom people who wish to go into it, it looks as if we will have an enor- 
mous production in a few years of ginseng crop. Fifty acres will 
produce the annual export. 
It costs at the present time, for 2-year-old roots, about $20,000 
to start an acre of ginseng. 
Mr Scorr. Has it any medicinal virtue? 
Mr. Covitxe. It has not. 
Mr. Scorr. It is used in China? 
Mr. Covitte. Yes, sir. 
Mr. Bowiz. What for? 
Mr. Covittz. As a tonic. 
In the matter of the things that are deceiving the public we are 
running across interesting things in the question of tropical agricul- 
ture, and I would like to read to youa letter that was received not long 
since with reference to floating of stock in india-rubber plantation 
companies: 
— College, 
? 
Dec. 28, 1903. 
Mr. O. F. Coox, Warden’s Office. 
Dear Sir: I am greatly obliged for your letter and for your pamplet on ‘The 
Culture of the Central American Rubber Tree’’? which you were good enough to 
send me. Iam aclergyman and teacher with a limited income, nearly 66 years of 
age, and have no money to throw away. I have bought 15 undivided acres of the 
Rubber Plantation Company through the church society of 
which looks after the interests of clergymen ot the Protestant Episcopal Church. 
Itis not a ‘‘get-rich-quick’’ concern, as it promises to pay no dividend for six years, but 
then it assures us of a return of 20 per cent, gradually increasing, until it pays 200 per 
cent in ten years. Your report is not as encouraging as I could wish. Will you be 
kind enough to tell me your honest opinion of ? It is, under Mr. —-—— 
and his manager, Mr. , being carried on honestly, intelligently, 
efficiently, and economically. JEven if investments in it do not yield the very large 
returns promised, are they not likely to pay well? If you will kindly answer these 
questions and give me any other information on the subject that may suggest itself 
to you, I shall be greatly indebted to you. Iam relying on this investment as the 
support of my old age and can not afford to make mistakes. : 
Yours, very truly, 
Rey. 
That is one of the lines of work, a large correspondence on ques 
tions of fraud and information on questions of doubtful enterprises. 
some fraudulent, and which consume a considerable part of our time; 
and part of our efforts, in connection with tropical agriculture, and 
these other things, is devoted toward producing conservative infor- 
mation which we believe will be as useful to the people in a negative 
way as information regarding agricultural enterprises suitable for the 
investment of money would be in the opposite direction. 
Mr. Scorr. Do you report unconditionally against these rubber 
enterprises ! 
