Harlan P. Kelsey, Tremont Building, Boston, and Kawana, N. C. 7 
In any event, where possible, the Ginseng garden should be planted on ground 
sheltered from strong, prevailing winds. 
Preparing for Market. — -After the roots are of sufficient size, that is, from 3 
to 5 ounces or more in weiglit, green, dig very carefully, without bruising or breaking, 
and after washing perfectly clean in fresh water, place on wooden trays or boards to dry 
— in the sun where possible. Or the roots may be spread evenly and thinly on trays in a 
warm room. Too rapid drying is not desirable, and where the quantity to be dried is 
considerable it would pay to buy a small evaporator. It takes about 3 pounds of green 
root to make i pound of perfectly dry marketable article, and all extra care taken in its 
preparation for the market will be well repaid in the increased price obtained. Sell only 
to reliable clealers who are willing to pay a proper price for an unlimited amount of the 
product. A list of these will be sent on application. 
Fig. 8. Ginseng growing under lath shed. 
The small, fibrous rootlets should be cleaned off during the drying process, as a 
better price is commanded for large, smooth roots. After making sure that the roots 
are perfectly dry, cool off, and weigh out at once in paper sacks of one to two pounds, 
finally packing in clean boxes of ten to twenty-five sacks each. If it is undesirable to 
dispose of the dried root at once, it would be best to pack in air-tight glass jars or seal 
in tins, to prevent damage caused by the boring beetle, which is said to attack it. 
The roots, also, should be carefully graded according to size, appearance and weight, 
and marked accordingly on the outside of the packages before shipping. 
The best markets are New York, Cincinnati and San Francisco, from whence almost 
the entire product is shipped to China, whose people value it as a panacea for nearly all 
human ills. 
With these instructions followed, success should be made of growing Ginseng, and 
the element of profit is so large as to be rather startling. 
The greatest discouragement in growing Ginseng is the depredations of thieves. 
The root is so e.xtremely valuable that if the location of a plantation is generally known, 
the crop would stand but little chance of maturing without at least a part being stolen. 
Unless secrecy can be maintained it will pay, as a rule, to erect a high solid wall 
with barbed wire on top. An electric wire can be arranged around the plantation at 
little cost, which will ring a bell or bells located where desired if an entry be forced. 
