Among the wild plants of the United States are many that have long been used in the practice of medicine, some only locally and to a minor extent, but others in sufficient quantity to make them commercially important. The collection of such plants for the crude-drug market provides a livelihood for many people in rural communities, especially in those regions where the native flora has not been disturbed by agricultural or industrial expansion and urban development.
There is an active interest in the collection of medicinal plants, because it appeals to many people as an easy means of making money. However, it frequently requires hard work, and the returns, on the whole, are very moderate. Of the many plants reported to possess medicinal properties, relatively few are marketable, and some of these are required only in small quantities. Persons without previous experience in collecting medicinal plants should first ascertain which of the marketable plants are to be found in their own locality and then learn to recognize them. Before undertaking the collection of large quantities, samples of the bark, root, herb, or other available material should be submitted to reliable dealers in crude drugs to ascertain the market requirements at the time and the prevailing prices.
The collection of medicinal plants for the crude-drug market has long afforded a gainful occupation for many people in the rural sections of this country. From the days of the early settlers, numerous native plants have been credited with medicinal properties, which have led to their use as home remedies and in the manufacture of proprietary medicines, although some of the more important ones enter widely into official pharmaceutical products. Other plants of similar interest have been introduced from foreign countries and have become established and in some cases widely distributed. Among the plants that furnish products for the crude-drug trade are common weeds, popular wild flowers, and important forest trees. Many of these possess no pronounced medicinal properties, but so long as there is a market demand for them their collection continues to be of
interest. For many of these plants there is little commercial demand, but a large number are consumed in substantial quantities, ranging from a few tons to 50 tons or more annually.
With the agricultural development of the country the natural supply of some of these medicinal plants has been reduced. The
activity of collectors has further depleted the supply, especially of those plants that have a relatively high market value and therefore furnish better returns for the time and labor expended. Nevertheless, many of these plants may still be found in forests, meadows, and waste places, and their collection may contribute to the family income.
There is much demand for information concerning the collection of medicinal plants, especially among persons who are not fully employed or who are operating small farms that do not require their entire attention. Herborists.com aims to guide or assist such persons in acquainting themselves with those plants for which there is a demand, and to furnish helpful suggestions regarding the collection and preparation of such plants for market.
COLLECTION AND PREPARATION OF MATERIAL
The first step in the collection of medicinal plants is to acquaint oneself with the market demands. Dealers in crude botanical drugs usually publish lists of the plants they handle and indicate the general range of prices. With such information at hand, and with the aid of Herborists.com, the prospective collector should be able to determine which plants found in his locality offer the best opportunity for profit.
It frequently happens that after gathering considerable quantities of some plant the collector finds that the market is fully supplied at the time and either there is no sale for it or it can be only sold at a price that will not compensate him for his labor. Such a situation may usually be avoided by first submitting representative samples of the material to be collected, together with a statement of the approximate quantity that can be furnished, to a number of reliable dealers. This will generally bring information concerning the market possibilities and the returns that may be expected. Such procedure is especially recommended in the case of plants that are liable to deteriorate in a relatively short time, making it inadvisable to hold them until market conditions improve. Some of the dealers in crude drugs are willing to cooperate in this way with collectors, in order to prevent loss through over-collection and to encourage the collection of adequate supplies of the most-needed plants.
TIME AND SEASON FOR COLLECTING HERBS
The medicinal value of botanical drugs depends to a large extent on the time of their collection. Roots from annual plants should generally be dug just before the flowering period; those of biennial and perennial plants should be gathered late in the fall or early in the spring, because during the growing season they are deficient in their active constituents and are of poorer quality generally. Barks also should preferably be collected during the dormant season when the sap is not flowing. Leaves and herbs are of most value when collected during the flowering period or just before they have finished growing. Flowers should always be gathered when they first open. Wherever definite information on these points has been available it has been included in the discussion of the various plants.
The proper preparation of the collected material is of the utmost importance. If the material contains dirt or other foreign matter, or if it is moldy or has an undesirable color or odor, it may be rejected by the dealers or purchased only at a reduced price. Roots should be thoroughly freed from adhering soil and other dirt. Fibrous roots, or rootstocks with numerous small roots or rootlets, require careful washing to remove such foreign matter. The larger stems of herbs and leaves should be discarded, as they possess little or no value, and leaves that are partly dried from age or that are discolored or injured
by disease or insects should be excluded if the best price is to be obtained.
The material must be carefully dried. All plant material, in whatever form, is easily spoiled in both appearance and value if improper methods are used to remove the large quantity of moisture that is usually present. Fleshy roots dry very slowly and frequently become moldy unless they are sliced across or lengthwise to permit more rapid evaporation of the moisture. In the drug market such roots occur in various forms, and information on this point should be secured from the dealers or from experienced collectors so that the dried material may conform to market requirements. Leaves readily lose their green color
while drying and sometimes become brown or even black. They should, therefore, be spread out in a well-ventilated room, especially in cloudy weather, and dried as rapidly as possible. Exposure to direct bright sunlight is undesirable because it frequently causes bleaching of the leaves. Fruits, particularly those that are juicy, are especially difficult to handle on account of their tendency to become sour or moldy. They should preferably be spread out in thin-layers on wire or cloth screens that will permit a thorough circulation of air and on which they can be frequently stirred. Seeds must be thoroughly cured; even ripe seeds that appear to be dry will frequently heat and spoil if stored without having been spread out and allowed to dry for at least several days.
The best way to store the dried material is to pack it in clean bags or boxes. If, however, the material is likely to be injured by exposure to air or light, or if it is subject to the attack of insects, it should be placed in tightly closed cans or other receptacles and marketed at the earliest opportunity.
Ask herborists and herbalists in our Business Directory for detailed information on drying herbs, including directions for constructing drying rooms and sheds.
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