sembling starch. In
Mandscharia and Dauria it is yellow, smooth and transparent, and when
cut resembles amber. The taste of the root is bitter. Crude ginseng
now sells in the Canton market at 70 to 80 dollars per picul of 133
lbs., and cured or clarified root at 130 to 140 dollars.

The stem of the plant, which is renewed every year, leaves, as it
falls off, an impression upon the neck of the root, so that the number
of these rings or marks indicates the age of the plant, and the value
of the root increases accordingly. The Chinese government were
formerly in the habit of sending out annually 30,000 Tartar soldiers
to search for the plant, and each was obliged to bring home two ounces
of the root gratis, and for all above that quantity he was paid its
weight in silver. The Asiatic ginseng is said to be obtained from the
root of _P. Schinseng_ of Nees von Esenbeck, _P. Pseudo ginseng_ of
Wallich. This root might be procured in Prince Edward's Island and
some of the other British North American colonies.

I have been able to trace, after some labor and research, the
progressive exports of this curious article of trade from the United
States.

In 1790, 813 casks, of the value of 47,025 dollars, were exported; and
in 1791, 29,208 lbs. From 1803 to 1807, the annual value of ginseng
shipped was about 123,000 dollars, and from 1820 to 1830, it averaged
157,000 dollars.

The following figures show the value of the article in subsequent
years:--1831, 115,921 dollars; year ending 30th September, 1835,
94,960 dollars; 1837, 212,899 lbs., valued at 108,548 dollars; 1840,
22,728 dollars; 1841, 437,245 dollars.

The quantity shipped in 1839, from Philadelphia alone, was 317,443
lbs. In 1841, 637,885 lbs. were exported from the United States.

The value of that exported in the years ending 30th June, was 1844,
95,008 in dollars, and in 1845, 117,146 dollars; 110,000 lbs. were
collected at Toledo, Ohio, in 1845. The value of the exports in the
following years, ending June 30th, were--1847, 64,466 dollars; 1849,
162,640; 1849, 182,966; 1850, 122,916 dollars.

CORIANDER, CARRAWAY, AND OTHER SEEDS.

The fruits of anise, carraway, coriander, &c., (erroneously called
seeds,) are in demand for various purposes.

CARRAWAY SEED is imported to the extent of 500 tons annually from
Germany and Holland, the price being about 33s. per cwt. It is also
now much grown in Essex and Kent. In the years 1848 and 1849, 7,000
cwt. of this seed