GINSENG AND OTHER MEDICINAL PLANTS

A Book of Valuable Information for Growers as Well as Collectors of Medicinal Roots, Barks, Leaves, Etc.

BY A. R. HARDING

Published by A. R. Harding Publishing Co. Columbus, Ohio Copyright 1908 By A. R. Harding Pub. Co.

CONTENTS

I. Plants as a Source of Revenue

II. List of Plants Having Medicinal Value

III. Cultivation of Wild Plants

IV. The Story of Ginseng

V. Ginseng Habits

VI. Cultivation

VII. Shading and Blight

VIII. Diseases of Ginseng

IX. Marketing and Prices

X. Letters from Growers

XI. General Information

XII. Medicinal Qualities

XIII. Ginseng in China

XIV. Ginseng — Government Description, Etc.

XV. Michigan Mint Farm

XVI. Miscellaneous Information

XVII. Golden Seal Cultivation

XVIII. Golden Seal History, Etc.

XIX. Growers' Letters

XX. Golden Seal — Government Description, Etc.

XXI. Cohosh — Black and Blue

XXII. Snakeroot — Canada and Virginia

XXIII. Pokeweed

XXIV. Mayapple

XXV. Seneca Snakeroot

XXVI. Lady's Slipper

XXVII. Forest Roots

XXVIII. Forest Plants

XXIX. Thicket Plants

XXX. Swamp Plants

XXXI. Field Plants

XXXII. Dry Soil Plants

XXXIII. Rich Soil Plants

XXXIV. Medicinal Herbs

XXXV. Medicinal Shrubs

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Delights in His Ginseng Garden

Seneca Snake Root (Cultivated) in Blossom

Indian Turnip (Wild)

Canadian Snake Root (Cultivated)

Blood Root (Cultivated)

Sarsaparilla Plant (Wild)

Ginseng Plants and Roots

Garden Grown Ginseng Plants

Northern Ginseng Plant in Bloom — June

Plan for Ginseng Garden 24 x 40 Feet — Ground Plan One Line, Overhead Dotted

A Lath Panel

One, Two and Three Year Old Ginseng Roots

Ginseng Plants Coming Up

Bed of 10,000 Young Ginseng Plants in Forest

One Year's Growth of Ginseng Under Lattice Shade

A Healthy Looking Ginseng Garden

Diseased Ginseng Plants

Broken — "Stem Rot"

End Root Rot of Seedlings

The Beginning of Soft Rot

Dug and Dried — Ready for Market

A Three Year Old Cultivated Root

Bed of Mature Ginseng Plants Under Lattice

Some Thrifty Plants — An Ohio Garden

New York Grower's Garden

Forest Bed of Young "Seng" These Plants However Are Too Thick

A Healthy Looking "Garden" — "Yard"

Root Resembling Human Body

Wild Ginseng Roots

Pennsylvania Grower's Garden

Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolium)

Lady Slipper

Young Golden Seal Plant in Bloom

Golden Seal Plants

Thrifty Golden Seal Plant

Golden Seal in an Upland Grove

Locust Grove Seal Garden

Golden Seal (Hydrastis Canadensis) Flowering Plant and Fruit

Golden Seal Rootstock

Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga Racemosa), Leaves, Flowering Spikes and Rootstock

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum Thalictroides)

Canada Snakeroot (Asarum Canadense)

Virginia Serpentaria (Aristolochia Serpentaria)

Pokeweed (Phytolacca Decandra), Flowering and Fruiting Branch

Pokeweed Root

May-Apple (Podophyllum Pellatum), Upper Portion of Plant with Flower, and Rootstock

Seneca Snakeroot (Polygala Senega), Flowering Plant with Root

Large Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium Hirsutum)

Bethroot (Trillium Erectum)

Culver's Root (Veronica Virginica) Flowering Top and Rootstock

Stoneroot (Collinsonia Canadensis)

Crawley-Root (Corallorhiza Odontorhiza)

Marginal-Fruited Shield-Fern (Dryopteris Marginalis)

Goldthread (Coptis Trifolia)

Twinleaf (Jeffersonia Diphylla) Plant and Seed Capsule

Canada Moonseed (Menispermum Canadense)

Wild Turnip (Arisaema Triphyllum)

Black Indian Hemp (Apocynum Cannabinum), Flowering Portion, Pods, and Rootstock

Chamaelirium (Chamaelirium Luteum)

Wild Yam (Dioscorea Villosa)

Skunk-Cabbage (Spathyema Foetida)

American Hellebore (Veratrum Viride)

Water-Eryngo (Eryngium Yuccifolium)

Yellow Jasmine (Gelsensium Sempervirens)

Sweet Flag (Acorus Calamus)

Blue Flag (Iris Versicolor)

Crane's-bill (Geranium Maculatum), Flowering Plant, Showing also Seed Pods and Rootstock

Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale)

Soapwort (Saponaria Officinalis)

Burdock (Arctium Lappa), Flowering branch and Root

Yellow Dock (Rumex Crispus), First Year's Growth

Broad-Leaved Dock (Rumex Obtusifolius), Leaf, Fruiting Spike and Root

American Colombo (Frasera Carolinensis), Leaves, Flowers, and Seed Pods

Couch-Grass (Agropyron Repens)

Echinacea (Brauneria Augustifolia)

Aletris (Aletris Farinosa)

Wild Indigo (Baptisia Tinctoria), Branch Showing Flowers and Seed Pods

Pleurisy Root (Asclepias Tuberosa)

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis), Flowering Plant with Rootstock

Pinkroot (Spigelia Marilandica)

Indian Physic (Porteranthus Trifoliatus)

Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia Nudicaulis)

American Angelica (Angelica Atropurpurea)

Comfrey (Symphytum Officinale)

Elecampane (Inula Helenium)

Queen-of-the-Meadow (Eupatorium Purpureum)

Hydrangea (Hydrangea Arborescens)

Oregon Grape (Berberis Aquifolium)

INTRODUCTION

When the price of Ginseng advanced some years ago hundreds engaged in the business who knew little or nothing of farming, plant raising and horticulture. That they largely failed is not to be wondered at. Later many began in a small way and succeeded. Many of these were farmers and gardeners. Others were men who had hunted, trapped and gathered "seng" from boyhood. They therefore knew something of the peculiarities of Ginseng.

It is from the experience of these men that this work is largely made up — writings of those who are in the business.

Golden seal is also attracting considerable attention owing to the rapid increase in price during the early years of the present century. The growing of this plant is given careful attention also.

Many other plants are destined to soon become valuable. A work gotten out by the government — American root drugs — contains a great deal of value in regard habits, range, description, common names, price, uses, etc., etc., so that some of the information contained in this book is taken therefrom. The prices named in the government bulletin which was issued in 1907 were those prevailing at that time — they will vary, in the future, largely according to the supply and demand.

The greatest revenue derived from plants for medicinal purposes is derived from the roots, yet there are certain ones where the leaves and bark are used. Therefore to be complete some space is given to these plants. The digging of the roots, of course, destroys the plant as well as does the peeling of the bark, while leaves secured is clear gain — in other words, if gathered when matured the plant or shrub is not injured and will produce leaves each year.

The amount of root drugs used for medicinal purposes will increase as the medical profession is using of them more and more. Again the number of people in the world is rapidly increasing while the forests (the natural home of root drugs) are becoming less each year. This shows that growers of medicinal roots will find a larger market in the future than in the past.

Those who know something of medicinal plants — "Root Drugs" — can safely embark in their cultivation, for while prices may ease off — go lower — at times, it is reasonably certain that the general trend will be upward as the supply growing wild is rapidly becoming less each year.

A. R. Harding.