American Ginseng. 
•5* "S" ❖ 
HE CTTLTIVATION of American Ginseng {Aralia quinquefolia) in this 
country is receiving much attention at the present time. That Ginseng 
can be grown successfully and with great profit if given proper condi- 
tions of soil and treatment, is now beyond question. 
At the present time Ginseng commands a cash price in the open 
market of from $2.50 to $4 per pound for the dried wild root, while the 
cultivated root brings as high as $G to $8 per pound. 
To show how the supply of Ginseng has diminished, and the price 
increa.sed, the following figures from reliable sources are quoted: lu 
1821, 352,992 pounds were exported at a value of *171,786, or 48 cts. a pound, while in 
1897, 179,573 pounds were exported 
at a value of $fl40,fi86, or $4.t>8 per 
pound. 
This export consists almost 
entirely of wild roots, as only 
recently has the cultivation of 
Ginseng been successfully at- 
tempted in America, although 
it has been grown in t'hina, 
Japan and Korea for a long 
time — the industry being a gov- 
ernment monopoly in the latter 
country. 
The above figures conclu- 
sively show that the supply is 
entirely inadequate to the de- 
mand, and that the wild root 
is becoming scarcer each year. 
Kventually it must become a cul- 
tivated crop, but the fact that it 
takes from four to six years' 
growth before it is properly ready 
for the market will keep many 
from attempting its culture, 
though making returns larger and 
more sure for those who devote 
the necessary care and attention 
to its cultivation. 
The extremely high value of 
Ginseng being thus conclusively 
proved, it only remains to be 
shown that its culture can be 
made a success. 
The conditions can be stated 
in a tew words: A rich, cool, 
loamy, loose soil, shade, and a Fia. 2. American' Uinseng. 
heavy mulching of wood leaves (Jiutl. Ul, Die. of Publications, U. S. Dept. of Agr.) 
