Published: September 09, 2007 12:47 am      

Kitzmiller man digs up enormous ginseng root

KITZMILLER — For 45 years, Roger Welch has made a hobby out of hunting for wild ginseng, but never before had he come across a root of nearly record size.

“Every time I got out to dig for roots,” Welch said, “I hope it’s a big one. This one, all the dealers said they’d never seen one this size. Only one had even heard of one that big.”

The root, which Welch discovered in the Kitzmiller area, weighs in at nearly a pound, a weight that typically takes 40 to 60 ginseng roots to achieve.

He said that he was surprised by the size, not only when he was digging, as he knew it was large, but when he got it home, he discovered that it was much larger than he’d anticipated. Because of weather conditions, he’d brought the root home in a clump of dirt, which he removed at his home in Kitzmiller, discovering that he had what is called a “12 pronger,” a very rare discovery.

Because of the root’s size, he said he’s taken it to various dealers and people who work with ginseng on a regular basis, trying to find out how rare it is, its possible age and what kind of value it might have.

Welch said he was aware that out of the ground, ginseng is worth $150 a pound, and that the going rate for the root after it has been dried is more than $400 a pound. He said that he has questioned if this root might be different because of how unique it is and that it is intact.

Larry Harding of Harding’s Ginseng Farm said that he was surprised when Welch showed him the root. Not only is the size of it very rare, but so is finding one that is as old as this, at probably 100 years. Harding said that many of the older roots had been picked years ago.

“I’ve been around ginseng for quite some time,” Harding said. “I know when there’s a rarity such as this. I’ve never seen a pound ginseng root, let alone a wild one. It’s like finding gold in a way. Though it might not bring in quite so much money, you feel very good about what you’ve found.”

Welch said he was very surprised to find it and to find out how old the root is. Because of new licensing practices in Maryland for ginseng hunting, he said finding one more than 30 or 40 years old is very rare. Most roots now, because of replanting required through licensing, are too young to be dug up and sold.

For Welch, this isn’t a means of income but a hobby, as he said the walking has kept him healthy over the years, along with being a believer in using ginseng. He said that the money is a nice incentive, as it has become his traditional Christmas gift for his wife.

Sarah Moses can be reached at smoses@times-news.com.