Ginseng   Fores-@aol.com   Dec 15, 2005 10:38 PST  ENTS: As we in Appalachia struggle with the potential outlawing of growing American ginseng on private property in the United States in order to protect Chinese consumers from buying American ginseng that cannot be verified as truly wild I want to pass on some thoughts on the matter from a New York based scientist... Russ Richardson   The recent hurricane and gasoline issues helped prove existence of a new element. In early October 2005 a major research institution announced discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element has been named "Government." Governmentium (Gv) has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons -- giving it an Atomic Mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called Morons - which are surrounded by vast quantities of Lepton-like particles -- called Peons. Since Gv has no Electrons - it is inert. However - it can be detected -- because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Gv causes one reaction to take over four days to complete -- when it would normally take less than a second! Gv has a normal half-life of 4 years; it does not decay -- but -- instead -- undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the Assistant Neutrons and Deputy Neutrons exchange places. In fact - Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time -- since each reorganization will cause more Morons to become Neutrons - forming Isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Gv is formed whenever Morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as - Critical Morass. When catalyzed with money - Gv becomes Administratium (Am) -- an element which radiates just as much energy as Gv - since it has half as many Peons - but twice as many Morons. RE: Ginseng   Robert Leverett   Dec 15, 2005 11:39 PST  Russ,    With respect to your first paragraph, man, I hope you are joking.  All joking aside, it has always been disturbing to me how "our" government so quickly transmutes itself into a vehicle to serve special interests. However, back in the 60s and 70s, I'd never in a million years imagined that we'd consider protecting a Red Chinese interest, especially one that decimates a native population - even if plants and works against viable local markets. You are joking, aren't you? Say you are, Russ. Say it ain't so. Re: new element   Fores-@aol.com   Dec 15, 2005 15:20 PST  Bob: It is so... What has happened is that many people in Appalachia are growing American ginseng, a native understory forest plant in the woods under natural conditions. The method has become known as "wild simulated" and produces a root that is physically, chemically and genetically indistinguishable from truly wild ginseng. The US Fish and Wildlife Service controls all aspects American ginseng export and has no way at all to determine whether roots being sold are wild or "wild simulated" and would rather outlaw the entire industry than to allow people to continue growing and selling the stuff like they have for over 100 years. In the current climate we have in WV the Feds are requiring that property owners eradicate native ginseng before any is planted in their woods. If we have plantings already established in the woods they are legally classified as "wild" and any prohibition on exporting or harvesting "wild" plants will financially hurt untold thousands of people in WV, KY and OH. The probelm is that ginseng is not rare, threatened or endangered and no inventory of ginseng populations on private property has ever been attempted and all rules related to it's harvest and export are based on population studies from places like Shenandoah and GSMNP where deer populations are somewhere between high and out of control. Following in italics is a short background piece I recently wrote on ginseng. Russ American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, has been harvested from the understory of West Virginia's forests for export to China for nearly 300 years and has been intentionally grown in woodland patches for over a century. The preferred method of growing American ginseng in West Virginia has become "wild simulated" in which seeds are intentionally scattered or lightly planted beneath a native hardwood forest cover and allowed to mature. The "wild simulated" ginseng roots produced by this method are physically and chemically indistinguishable from truly wild plants and valued similarly.   Wild and wild simulated ginseng roots typically sells for 25 to 30 times as much money as cultivated and artificially propagated roots. In spite of generations of exploitation, American ginseng has not been designated rare, threatened or endangered and persists in wild populations across its native range. The export of ginseng from Appalachia to the Orient has generated over half a billion dollars in the past decade. Today, American ginseng exported from the US is subject to restrictions under current international law and governed by CITES (Council on International Trade in Endangered Species).   The US Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Scientific Authority Administers CITES and controls all aspects of ginseng export from the US.    Re: Ginseng   Fores-@aol.com   Dec 16, 2005 06:50 PST  Bob: The issue related to ginseng is a national problem and it has attracted the attention of Senator Byrd and a couple of our Congressional Reps but the problem we are having is that we have a plant that is found wild and legally harvested in more than 20 states and all states where ginseng is found has different rules related to its season of harvest and sale. Because many traditional woods based subsistence activities are undertaken by the poorest segment of society, most people involved with non-timber forest products are written off as from the "fringe" of society and given appropriate consideration. We have a group, WV Ginseng Growers Association that has spent the past four years dealing with several issues related to ginseng theft as much as growing the stuff and we have begun trying to start a national ginseng producers group. Our efforts at developing a new ginseng law in WV that protects growers has been the impetus behind the FWS decision to place greater restrictions on the plant. From the standpoint of volume, what is grown in the woods as wild or wild simulated under natural conditions by property owners everywhere from Vermont and New York to North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee represents less than 10% of all the ginseng exported from the US but it accounts for nearly 95% of the cash value American ginseng has to the overall economy. It is estimated that growing ginseng in the woods could be worth over a billion dollars yearly to rural Appalachia. Wisconsin is the largest US producer of shade grown and cultivated ginseng but the roots grown there typically sell for less than $12/pound. New York grown wild simulated ginseng sells for $800/pound in Chinatown. One aspect of ginseng populations is the contention that wild ginseng is in peril because of invasive plants and habitat loss and scientists have produced a model saying wild ginseng will be extinct in less than 100 years. I can imagine no better guarantee of such a self fulfilling prophesy than to destroy or remove any financial incentives the land owning public would have to maintain a healthy forest understory and keep invasives under control on their land. Have you ever eaten or used ginseng? I use it almost every day I'm working in the woods. It is the best energy booster I have ever used and there is no way a cup of coffee at 2:00 in the afternoon can pep me up the way a few drops of tincture can but there are few things as uniquely tasty as a fresh root right out of the ground. It is illegal to dig ginseng in Massachusetts....but no one has told me it is illegal to plant the stuff and I have been sowing seeds all over Western Mass for nearly ten years. Although it is illegal to dig ginseng in Massachusetts it is not illegal to sell sang in NY state and there are several brokers in border counties that are more than willing to buy what is "wild" from Mass and the price can easily exceed $600/pound...........however, it normally takes about 200 roots to make a pound so $3/plant will not make you much money unless you find a population of 50 to a thousand plants. I knew several old timers in the logging business in MA that used to supplement their income digging ginseng. There are several areas in Franklin County with good populations. Russ RE: new element   Robert Leverett   Dec 16, 2005 08:20 PST  Russ, Thanks for giving us such a good accounting of the ginseng trade and the political controversy surrounding it. As an ecologically sensitive forester who has expanded his concept of viable forest products to include the herb layer, it must be a source of constant frustration to you to encounter the lack of sensitivity of your profession, taken as a whole, to this dual view of forest products. I know that my good friend Ehrhard Frost shares your views, as do I for that matter.    Recently, Ehrhard convinced me to renew my associate membership in the Forest Stewards Guild. I used to be a member, but saw them straying from their initially righteous path when they seemed to be headed for too much of an accommodation with the more traditional schools of thought. If I may ask, what is your assessment of the Guild and its adherence to the principles on which it was established? Bob Re: Re: new element   paul-@tds.net   Dec 16, 2005 10:47 PST  Russ, I've never noticed any large patches of wild ginseng here in Wisconsin. I usually find a few within view of each other, but never in numbers more than a dozen or two. I occasionally come across dwarf ginseng, but never find it in the same areas as American ginseng. I've tended to see American ginseng in old and second growth forests, but have only recall having seen dwarf ginseng in old growth. Is dwarf ginseng in your area? I suppose there is no market for it due to it's size... I've never harvested the roots but have also spread the seeds!! Paul Jost Re: new element   Fores-@aol.com   Dec 16, 2005 12:03 PST  Paul: Ginseng develops best with a cover of 70% shade. More sun and the plants grow too fast and not enough and the plants can be 50 years old and three inches tall. I dug a wild plant out of the way of a logging trail last year that was over 60 years old and had a root smaller than a kernel of un popped corn. The ginsenocides in that little plant gave it an awesome kick when I shared it with three other people and it probably could have kept me awake for an entire cross country drive! Populations of a dozen or so plants are extremely common and would be something you'd likely encounter most often. Land use history factors in significantly and land that was cleared or heavily grazed will not usually have any ginseng. It does spread and usually you will find several smaller plants surrounding a larger one but the plants do readily spread downhill and I would always look down slope from any plants you discover to see if there are others. I have found the best wild populations in land that has not been disturbed for forty or more years. Ginseng plants do not emerge every year and they have been known to lie dormant for 30 or more years waiting for sunlight to hit the ground when a neighboring tree dies. Depending upon your location, April through June is the best time to inventory ginseng in the woods as the stuff gets eaten by deer and overtopped by some other understory plants. I found a population this past July that amounted to well over 1000 plants across a hillside with a maple, ash basswood, beech and elm woods and very steep cliffs including some exceptionally large plants that were loaded with seeds. When I returned to the same site with a ginseng researcher three weeks later the tops of nearly all plants had been browsed by deer and I felt foolish dragging a scientist into the woods 200 miles from his office! The best way to locate ginseng is to be on the lookout for companion plants of American ginseng like wild ginger, Goldenseal, black and blue Cohosh, maidenhair ferns, bloodroot and sweet cicely. Woody understory plants associated with ginseng can include spicebush and paw paw. Spreading and planting the seeds is very much worthwhile.   Never allow the seeds to dry before you plant them. Since I started fooling around with ginseng and several other species of medicinal plants from the woods I am certain it has made me a better forester. I certainly has given me a different perspective on how complex a healthy forest ecosystem really is. Russ RE: new element   Will Blozan   Dec 16, 2005 12:48 PST  Russ, Dwarf ginseng, Panax trifolium, is a native, but non-commercial species in the Smokies. Will B Re: new element   Fores-@aol.com   Dec 16, 2005 18:23 PST  Will: Just looked P trifolius in Core and Strausbaugh...Flora of West Virginia and found it listed. I am pretty sure that they may have recently declared it is not a separate species from P quinquefolius. I have forwarded a question on dwarf vs regular ginseng to Dr. Jim McGraw at West Virginia University. He has spent years studying the stuff and he has research plots scattered across several states. I am certain he can answer the question and give some pointers on how the plants are different or the same. From looking over the description in Strausbaugh and Core the plants are found in the same locations at sites with both appearing to occur statewide. In looking at the illustrations in the book I will say that the root of the trifolius is round like a little ball and the round roots are some of the most valuable in the eyes of the Chinese buyers. Russ Re: new element   Fores-@aol.com   Dec 16, 2005 14:01 PST  Will: I got a response from Dr. McGraw almost immediately............ Yup. It's a different beast. Have you seen it? It's quite small, and apparently the root is not generally sold, although I would bet it contains some ginsenosides. Because it is so small it would take a huge quantity of roots to make a pound! Russ Re: new element   Fores-@aol.com   Dec 16, 2005 14:23 PST  Michele: We have people organized in several states and we are making plans to hit the Federal meetings hard this winter. FWS will have three hearings in large cities this winter in locations that will be at least a little inconvenient if not intimidating to the rural folks that should be speaking out. Russ Re: new element   Fores-@aol.com   Dec 17, 2005 05:18 PST  Lee: I am fairly certain that they recently outlawed ginseng harvesting in Michigan and the ban included intentionally planted ginseng. I have done a lot of looking since dwarf ginseng was mentioned and have found that, at least historically it was found in more than 20 WV counties. Russ Re: new element   Fores-@aol.com   Dec 17, 2005 06:11 PST  ENTS.... If you all can't tell, this stuff eats up a lot of my time! Ginseng has a several thousand year heritage in the Orient and I hope some of the following background will help. It is a very complex plant and is valued and sold as much on appearance as any other factor.   The Chinese have developed a grading system that recognizes over 50 grades of roots. Artificially grown roots tend to look like large white carrots that can weigh a few ounces each. Roots that are twisted, wrinkled and yellowish to light tan are prime indicators of wild and wild simulated. You cannot fake or mimic natural growing conditions. The medicinal and market value of ginseng increases with age with optimum "medicinal" properties developing after 7 to 10 years growth. However, the ginsenocides, a complex series of chemicals that give ginseng its desired properties, will continue to accumulate and concentrate in the root throughout the life of the plant. There is a significant difference in the value and efficacy of cultivated vs wild and wild simulated ginseng with the midpoint being "woods grown" The value of the plants resulting from the various methods of production decrease from wild to cultivated on a minimum per pound $ value of $350 Wild, $350 Wild simulated, $100 Woods grown and $12 cultivated. Ginseng grown under artificial shade is very prone to fungus and disease problems and is usually treated with lots of different chemicals and pesticides. Most cultivated ginseng sold on the world market is less than three years old and has a very limited medicinal value but it is harvested at a young age because of the disease problems related to intense monocultures. Also, tilling the ground enhances the soil born diseases and related health problems for the ginseng exponentially. In the year 1999, about 500,000 pounds of ginseng produced by all methods was exported from the US to Asia....the same year they grew 1000 metric tons in China. Because export values are so high, more than 95% of all US grown ginseng is shipped to Asia. At the same time nearly 100% of the American ginseng sold and used in the US is grown in China and Korea in artificial shade beds. In terms of desirability and quality, think wild salmon vs pen raised salmon or a native brook trout vs farmed trout! From WV state law the following definitions are in force and they are the most modern definitions of ginseng in effect in the US "Wild ginseng" means Panax quinquefolius L. that is not grown or nurtured by a person regardless of the putative origin of the plants: Provided, That wild ginseng may originate from seeds planted by a digger at the same site from which the digger harvests the wild ginseng; "Wild simulated ginseng" means ginseng that is purposefully planted in the woods without a bed being prepared and without the use of any chemical weed, disease or pest control agents; "Woods grown ginseng" means ginseng that is purposefully planted in beds prepared in the woods in a manner that uses trees to provide necessary shade and which may be grown with the use of chemical or mechanical weed, disease or pest control agents. "Cultivated ginseng" means ginseng that is purposefully planted in beds under artificial shade using standard horticultural practices such as mechanical tillage, fertilization, weed control, irrigation and pesticides; Russ   Home