Guest guest Posted November 22, 2000 Report Share Posted November 22, 2000 >Catherine Novak <cnovak >wiseweeds > " wiseweeds " <wiseweeds > >[wiseweeds] Ginseng Tagging >Wed, 22 Nov 2000 09:43:04 -0500 > >Larry cut out this great article from our newspaper on " Ginseng tagging >tactic seeks to stop poachers on federal land, " by Edith Stanley of the >Los Angeles Times. > >Sadly, I cannot locate an accessible ONLINE copy of this article...so >I'll just sum it up as an fyi. > >Basically, poachers have been stealing ginseng not only from private >growers,but also from federal lands, especially national forests. Jim >Corbin, a plant specialist for the North Carolina Department of >Agriculture investigated several ways to try and track illegally gained >ginseng. > >He finally mixed calcium and magnesium with an orange dye laced with >coded silicone chips which identify the origin of the plants. Since >1995, he and state and federal employees go into the woods, uncover >ginseng roots, spray them with glue, sprinkle the dye and then recover >them. After it rains, the roots absorb the dye and the coloring is >permanent. > >If officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spot ANY orange >roots, >the entire shipment is returned to the dealer. Now, of course, the >article did not >say if the dealer could resubmit the roots for export once orange ones >are picked >out.... But supposedly several NC dealers say they have not seen any >orange roots >this year.... > >The article says that the losses add up to $5.3 million over the past >nine years. It also says that an average of 350 plants produce about one >pound of roots. > >Ginseng Tagging Program in North Carolina National Forests >http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/press/news.htm >(unfortunately you have to download this file, but wanted to give it as >an online reference. > >Cathy, Wise Weeds >http://www.freeyellow.com/members6/wiseweeds/ >Herbs, Herbal Salves & Oils, Essential Oils, Candles, Incense >***Ask for our Winter Holidays Specials Flyer*** > > > >The information in this post should not replace advice given by your >medical practitioner. > ______________________________\ _____ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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