Randy Sprouse inspecting the ginseng he's dug

Since the 17th century, when a Jesuit priest in Canada identified ginseng (Panax quinquefolia) as a root prized in Asia and therefore exportable, ginseng has provided an annual source of cash for people living in the mountains. Wild ginseng, which commands prices ranging from $300 to $600 a pound, dried, continues to supplement incomes in the mountains. The largest quantities of wild ginseng in the country are harvested from the mixed mesophytic forest region centered around West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Event: Ginseng Hunting.

fall commercial gatherings ginseng panax quinquefolia harvesting of fruits and vegetables tom hollow ethnography whitesville randy sprouse randy sprouse ginseng coal river folklife collection tending the commons folklife and landscape in southern west virginia american folklife center lyntha scott eiler ginseng he ultra high resolution high resolution 17th century west virginia jesuit christian order jesuits united states history library of congress

01/01/1995

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

Public Domain