March  i,  1893.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
60  i 
G<Mjil$spand0n<!$. 
To  the  Editor. 
GINSENG. 
Ontario,  Canada,  Nov.  7,  1892. 
Deab  Sib, — Will  you  kindly  answer  the  following 
inquiries  from  a former  resident  of  Ceylon  who  was 
a planter  in  Ramboda  about  20  years  ago  There 
is  a plant  found  in  the  woods  here  called  gin-sing 
or  giunesing, — not  gentian  mind, — the  roots  of  which 
are  eagerly  bought  up  by  a few  looal  agents  at  a 
high  figure,  it  is  sent  abroad  somewhere  we  know, 
and  sold  we  suppose  at  a very  high  figure,  but  the 
buyers  refuse  to  give  any  information  as  to  its 
final  destination  or  the  price  they  get  for  it,  so  the 
matter  has  been  sent  to  me  for  solution. 
Now  I believe  it  to  be  used  in  India  or  China 
for  medical  purposes,  and  think  if  any  of  it  is  nsed 
in  Ceylon  you  will  be  sure  to  kDow  something  about 
it.  'Ask  anyone  you  may  know,  who  corresponds 
with  China  or  Straits  Settlements.  Here  is  the  exact 
shape  and  size  of  an  entire  root ; it  is  white  and  has 
a slight  pungent  taste  (lots  of  people  here  sey  it  is 
good  for  indigestion,  but  I don’t  find  it  much  use 
myselt). — Yours  faithfully,  F.  N. 
[In  back  volumes  of  the  Tropical  Agriculturist 
our  correspondent  will  find  information  regard- 
ing ginseng.  The  Treasury  of  Botany  has  the 
following  : — 
Ginseng.  The  root  of  one  or  more  species  of 
Panax.  It  is  also  called  Ginschen.  Pereira  gives 
P.  quinquefolium  as  American  Ginseng,  and  P. 
Schinseny  as  Asiatic  Ginseng. 
The  name  Panax  is  an  adaptation  of  the  Greek 
word,  panalxs,  signifying  a panacea,  or  remedy  for 
all  complaints,  in  allusion  to  the  supposed  or  real 
virtues  possessed  by  some  of  these  plants.  The  root 
of  the  N.  Asiatic  P.  Schinseny,  or  Ginseng,  is  highly 
esteemed  by  Chinese  physicians,  who  affirm  that 
it  is  able  to  ward  off  or  remove  fatigue,  to  restore 
exhausted  animal  powers,  to  make  old  people  young, 
and  in  a word  to  render  man  immortal  if  anything 
an  earth  can  do  so.  At  Pekin  it  is  said  sometimes  to 
have  been  worth  its  weight  in  gold.  In  Europe  the 
root  has  failed  to  produce  any  remarkable  effects, 
though  it  is  described  as  mucilaginous,  bitter,  and 
slightly  aromatic.  (The  name  Ginseng  has  been  said 
to  mean  the  ‘ Wonder  of  the  World,’  but  Mr.  Stronack 
informs  us  that  the  first  syllable  means  1 humane,’ 
the  second  uncertain,  possibly  meaning  ‘drug,’  or 
‘root,’  as  it  forms  part  of  the  name  of  this  root,  and 
of  another  drug  which  is  also  a root.J  The  roots  of 
P.  quinquefolium,  a native  of  North  America,  and 
which  has'  been  sometimes  confounded  with  the  fore- 
going, are  exported  to  China,  but  they  are  not  so 
highly  valued  as  the  indigenous  plant.  P . fruticosum, 
P.  cochleatum , and  P.  Anisum  have  all  aromatic  pro- 
perties. 
Wherever  the  Chinese  abound,  there  is  ginseng 
sure  to  be  found. — Ed.  T.A.] 
TEA-GROWING  IN  AMERICA. 
Seseay,  Thirsk,  Jan.  24. 
Dear  Sir, — Enclosed  please  find  a cutting  from 
American  Investments,  Possibly  you  may  think  it 
amusing  enough  to  insert  in  your  paper.  And  it 
is  only  fair  that  the  eyes  of  my  fellow  planters 
should  be  opened  to  the  existence  of  so  formidable 
a rival,  and  to  sucQess  of  tea  growing  in  America 
as  an  “established  fact.” — Yours  truly, 
ARTHUR  DUPUIS,  Jate  of  Nayabedde. 
The.  extract  is  as  foljows  : — 
SUCCESSFUL  TEA-PLANTING  IN  AMERICA. 
Mr.  Charles  U.  Shepard,  of  South  Carolina,  brought 
to  Baltimore  recently  samples  of  tea  grown  and  cured 
76 
on  the  “ Pinehurst  ” Farm,  near  Summerville,  South 
Carolina.  This  is  the  first  marketable  tea  that  has 
ever  been  produced  iu  the  United  States,  and  Mr. 
Shepard  is  much  encouraged  at  the  success  of  his  ex- 
periment. The  American  tea  was  tested  by  an  expert, 
who  pronounced  it  equal  to  the  best  high-grade 
English  breakfast  tea,  and  superior  to  many  grades 
that  come  from  India  and  China.  The  samples 
brought  here  by  Mr.  Shepard  are  all  of  one  quality 
and  character — black,  crisp,  and  well  scented.  It 
makes  a strong  beverage.  This  quality  of  the  Ameri- 
can tea  is  said  to  be  due  solely  to  its  treatment  in 
fermentation  and  curing.  Other  methods  of  curing 
the  American  product  will  produce  tea  similar  to  the 
several  brands  that  come  from  India  and  China. 
Judging  from  Mr.  Shepard’s  samples,  the  expert  says 
he  believes  the  successful  growing  of  tea  in  the  United 
States  is  established,  and  that  the  industry  should 
be  encouraged  and  fostered.  Mr.  Shepard  only  raised 
forty  pounds  of  tea  this  year,  which  was  cured  in  an 
ordinary  fruit  evaporator. 
Mr.  Shepard  gave  the  following  account  of  his 
tea  raising:  “For  a number  of  years,”  said  he, 
“I  was  the  agricultural  chemist  in  South 
Carolina,  and  became  interested  in  the  experiments 
the  Government  made  to  grow  tea  in  that  State. 
After  the  abandonment  of  the  plantation  by  the 
Government  I set  to  work  to  find  out  the  causes  of 
the  failure  and  to  see  if  they  could  be  remedied. 
I informed  myself  on  tea  culture  from  the  best 
sources  of  information,  and  after  careful  study  and 
research  I determined  to  take  up  the  matter  where 
the  Government  had  left  off.  I secured  twelve  acres 
on  the  1 Pinehurst  ’ Farm,  which  were  carefully  pre- 
pared and  set  out  iu  tea  plants.  It  requires  three 
years  of  cultivation  before  a plant  will  commence 
to  bear  marketable  tea.  During  the  three  years  of 
growth  I watched  and  attended  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  small  plantation  in  a way  that  I thought 
would  produce  good  results.  This  is  the  first  year 
that  I have  gathered  and  cured  tea  with  the  view  of 
putting  it  on  the  market.  Judges  of  tea  say  I have 
a good  article,  and  I will  therefore  continue  the 
work.  I have  gathered  and  cured  forty  pounds  of 
tea.  Next  year  I will  get  160  pounds,  the  year  after 
240  pounds,  the  fourth  year  400  pounds.  So  it  will  go 
on  increasing  each  year  as  the  plant  expands  and  throws 
out  more  shoots.  In  gathering  tea  for  market  only 
the  young  and  tender  leaves  are  taken  from  the  end 
of  each  sprout.  As  the  leaves  are  taken  off  others 
soon  appear  in  their  place.  This  is  what  tea-growers 
call  ‘ flushing,’  and  as  many  as  six  or  eight  gather- 
ings can  be  made  in  one  season.  I have  already 
called  the  attention  of  the  Agricultural  Department 
to  my  work,  and  have  been  promised  assistance  and 
encouragement  from  the  Government.  I will  have 
an  exhibit  of  American-grown  tea  at  the  World’s 
Fair  next  year  and  will  give  visitors  an  opportunity 
to  taste  and  test  its  quality. 
“ The  ‘ Pinehurst  ’ Farm  is  about  twenty-two  miles 
inland  from  Charleston,  and  is  well  adapted  to  tea- 
groWing.  The  climate  of  South  Carolina  seems  to  be 
well  suited  to  the  growth  of  the  plant  with  proper  at- 
tention. Tea  requires  a great  deal  of  moisture  and 
unless  we  get  from  fifty  to  eighty  inches  of  rainfall 
in  a year  the  crop  will  not  be  prolific.  I have 
ordered  a steam  curing  apparatus,  which  I will  put 
up  on  the  farm,  and  from  which  I anticipate  better 
results  than  from  the  crude  methods  of  curing  em- 
ployed this  year. — Baltimore  Sun. 
[Of  oourse  we  have  not  the  slightest  fear  of  Amerioa 
growing  tea  in  any  appreciable  quantity  to  a profit, 
—Ed.  Y.H.] 
A PRACTICAL  QUESTION  FOR  TEA  PLANTERS. 
Upoountry,  Feb.  7th. 
Dear  Sir, — Is  it  a fact  that  tea  will  not  now 
run  so  long  after  pruning  as  it  used  to,  and  that 
after  pruning  the  bushes  take  longer  ooming  into 
full  flush  ? — Yours  truly, 
AN  OLD  COFFEE  STUMP. 
