Ginseng seed should be planted about a half 
inch deep then an additional half inch decayed hard¬ 
wood sawdust or not having sawdust it is all right 
to use a full inch dirt covering patted down with 
the back of a spade to bring seed and soil in con¬ 
tact, then add enough mulch to help retain moist¬ 
ure but not enough to prevent seed forcing the top 
of the plant thru, rotted leaves would be fine, chaff, 
straw, shredded corn stalks or most any vegetable 
mulch, but not fresh pine sawdust containing much 
pitch. 
When planting, it is a good plan to stretch a 
string along one side of the proposed planting, pre¬ 
pare the surface four feet square, place a light 
frame made of lath, four feet square beside the line 
string, prepare a paper box the right size to hold 
the required number of seed you propose planting 
on these sixteen square feet, say 12 or 20 to the 
square foot, scatter this required number of seed 
within the frame, fork enough soil from where 
the frame is to be placed next to cover the seed, 
drag the frame to next location and proceed with 
the measure fillc d as before. 
If a seed bed is not used in order to economize 
on the ground and weeding, some growers plant in 
rows 16 or 18 inches apart with plants 3 or 4 inches 
in the row in permanent location where the crop is 
to mature, then cultivated with a wheel hoe the 
first summer to reserve moisture and prevent weeds 
instead of using mulch, except if this is done in 
the fall a mulch is used, and raked off in the spring 
before cultivating but it is usually best to do most 
of the cultivating the year before planting except 
where but a few pounds of seeds are planted. In 
either case paths must be left every four or five feet 
to walk in, and carry off excess of water in case 
there should be too much rain. 
Growing a half acre ginseng should be a parti¬ 
cularly attractive proposition for 10 or 12 year old 
boy or girl who aspires going to college in six years. 
Let him or her get a pencil and paper and do some 
figuring. 
There are 172 square feet in a square rod and 
160 squaie rods in an acre. 
Ques ion. How large a piece of ground would 
it be necessary to spade up or otherwise prepare 
to accomodate 50000 seed the first two years, count¬ 
ing 12 seed to the foot, how large a piece allowing 
20 seeds to the foot? How much ground would be 
necessary at the end of two years if transplanted 
say 6x6 or 6x8 or if ground is plentiful 8x8 inches 
allowing for paths? 
If these roots at the end of six years sold for 
only 10 cents each how near would you be having 
enough to pay your expenses thrq college, after de¬ 
ducting the cost of seed at $2.00 per thousand. 
How many hours fishing would you have to 
lose the first and second summer to weed a patch 
v — 
the size determined on. " \ 
We had one choice patch ginseng that averaged 
65 cents per root, one single % pound specimen 
worth $1.80 at the prevailing price at that time. 
They were seven or eight years old in¬ 
stead of five or six which is the usual time re¬ 
quired. We also had another patch planted under 
trees where chickens had prevented weed growth 
for years, after spading and planting the ground 
not an hours work was ever done to cultivate and 
not a handful weeds to the rod ever appeared. This 
made 50 pounds green roots at six years, roots dry 
down three to one, they were worth about $9.00 per 
pound dry then but were so crowded and dwarfed 
we transplanted to get a couple years more growth 
and size, it seldom pays to market too early. 
We know cf no other crop that is so profitable 
or one that has continued to increase in price so 
long or a remedy that remained popular so long. 
LAKE SARAH SPECIALTY FARM 
F. C. ERKEL, Manager 
Rockford, - - - - Minn. 
