VARIETIES. 
481 
and  the  South  Bend  of  the  St.  Peter's  River  on  the  west,  and  from  that 
line  extending  down  the  river  in  the  direction  of  St.  Paul's.  The  distance 
across  this  timber  from  Faribault  to  Mankato  is  about  forty  miles  ;  but  as 
you  pass  down  the  river  it  grows  narrower,  and  disappears  altogether  near 
the  town  of  Shacopee,  some  thirty  miles  above  St.  Paul's.  It  is  not  all  over 
this  piece  of  timber  that  the  Ginseng  grows,  but  only  on  such  portions  as 
are  above  indicated,  and  these  will  not  comprise  but  about  one-fourth  part 
where  it  will  grow  in  sufficient  quantity  to  make  it  profitable  to  gather  it. 
The  points  at  which  it  has  been  carried  on  chiefly,  are  Faribault,  Man- 
kato, and  St  Peter's.  Small  places  in  the  timber,  and  on  the  St.  Peter's 
River,  have  done  something,  but  these  principally. 
The  root  is  dug,  and  carried  as  dug,  to  a  particular  point,  chosen  for  its 
convenience,  where  it  is  properly  washed  and  dried.  Some  have  steamed 
the  root,  and  then  put  it  on  trays  in  a  tight  room,  where  the  thermometer 
ranges  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  twenty;  while  others  lay 
them  on  a  scaffold  for  several  days,  in  the  sun,  and  then  finish  them  in  the 
dry-house. 
The  first  look  the  handsomest,  and  I  think  command  the  highest  price  in 
the  market,  while,  to  my  mind,  the  latter  method  leaves  the  root  in  its 
most  natural  state.  The  green  root  has  commanded  prices  varying  from 
sis  to  ten  cents,  and  in  a  few  instances  even  more — the  average  being 
about  eight  cents.  It  has  taken  from  four  to  four  and  a  half  pounds  of 
the  green  root  to  make  one  of  the  dry,  but  I  am  told  that  in  the  fall  of  the 
year  it  takes  only  about  three. 
The  amount  of  the  dried  root  that  has  been  shipped  from  this  place,  as 
near  as  I  can  learn  has  been  between  twenty-one  and  twenty-two  thousand 
pounds,  and  that  sent  from  different  points  along  the  St.  Peter's  to  St.  Paul, 
to  be  shipped,  has  not  exceeded  eighteen  thousand.  The  time  spoken  of 
the  shipment  from  St.  Paul  was  about  the  20th  of  last  month. 
I  am  informed  that  it  has  been  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Crow  River, 
some  distance  above  St.  Paul,  but  have  not  learned  to  what  extent.  Up  to 
the  time  spoken  of  there  had  been  no  shipment  made  of  Ginseng  from  that 
locality,  and  the  presumption  is  that  the  amount  will  be  small. 
The  expectations  of  large  shipments  being  made  to  the  cities  on  the  sea- 
board has  had  the  tendency  to  depress  the  market  price  there,  and  that  in 
turn  has  had  the  effect  to  entirely  stop  the  trade  throughout  the  State. 
Every  town,  large  or  small,  in  the  vicinity  of  those  locations  where  it  grew, 
were  more  or  less  engaged  in  it;  but  since  the  news  of  the  price  having 
declined  reached  us,  every  operator  has  declined  buying,  and  no  more  roots 
are  brought  into  the  market. 
The  larger  share  of  the  roots  prepared  for  market  have  been  shipped  ; 
and  should  the  price  continue  as  it  is,  very  little  more  will  be  collected  and 
dried  for  shipment. 
