GINSENG, jin'sftg (Chinese jin-tsang, like ness of a man; less probably. first of plants). The yellowish root of Pana.r ginseng, highly esteemed as a medicine by the Chinese, who be lieve that it possesses extraordinary virtues for all diseases, particularly for exhaustion of body and mind. Specimens resembling the human form are sometimes sold for their weight in gold. This species. which is a native of China and ad joining territory, is from one to two feet tall, has five almost smooth leaves, with long petioles, between which arises the long-stalked umbel of inconspicuous flowers which are succeeded by numerous scarlet berries. It is cultivated in China and Korea. A description of this species and its properties led to the discovery in 1716 of the American species Panax quinquefolium, which so closely resembles Asiatic ginseng that an extensive export trade of wild roots soon fol lowed its introduction in China. Its natural range is from the borders of the Mississippi east ward; in the Southern States it is almost con fined to the highlands and the mountains. The Northern root is considered of superior, quality and commands the highest prices. The decreas ing supply of wild ginseng has been insufficient to meet the demand, and the price has risen from 52 cents in 1858 to $5.55 in 1902. This state of affairs has led, in various localities, to many experiments in growing ginseng, all of which failed until about 1885, when George Stanton grew the plant in beds in the forest at Apulia, N. Y. He later succeeded in growing it under
an artificial shade of lath. Since the publishing of his methods interest in the plant has increased, and many beds have been set out. The small quantities of cultivated root so far marketed have commanded 20 per cent. or more in ad vance of the price paid for wild roots gathered in the same district. Ginseng succeeds best in well-drained, loose, friable loam, rich in humus, potash, and phosphoric acid, but not in nitrogen. In its present state of development the root re quires about five years to reach marketable size, but at $2.50 a pound it should more than pay the expenses of growing. So great is the interest in the crop that the introduction of improved va rieties is highly probable. The exorbitant prices paid for seeds, young plants, and for the dried root during the years 1898-1902, it seems, cannot persist, since they are due partly to over-appre ciation of the Chinese demand for the root, to speculation, and to the newness of this plant as a cultivated crop. Two fragrant aromatic species, Panax fruticosus and Panax cochleatus, natives of the Moluccas, are used in India as medicine. In European and American practice none of these species are employed to any extent. Consult Kains, Ginseng (New York, 1903).