10 Years Ago
Week of September 4, 2013
‘Sengers’ Generate Around $2 Million
For West Virginia
With West Virginia’s ginseng digging season underway, “sengers” will be out in the woods searching for the profitable plant. The native herb, which grows in all of the state’s 55 counties, sold last year for an average of $508 per pound. The price of ginseng per pound fluctuates based on demand and has been recorded to sell from as high as $700 per pound to as low as $200 per pound. On average, it takes about 300 roots to make a pound of ginseng.
A total of 4,770 pounds of ginseng were harvested during the 2012 season, which was a four percent decline from the previous season. In 2012, ginseng generated approximately $2 million for West Virginia’s economy.
Harvesting ginseng is an important boost to the state’s economy, and in many areas of West Virginia, provides a much-needed second or third income during tough economic times.
Ginseng plants are ready to harvest when their berries turn red. The plant is dug out of the ground and its roots removed. West Virginia state law requires anyone digging ginseng to replant the berries/seeds from the parent plant in the spot where it was harvested because this helps continue the species. Federal regulations set the minimum age a plant can be harvested at five years. The age of the plant is determined by the number of prongs; only plants with three or more prongs are considered old enough to harvest.
The ginseng digging season runs through Nov. 30.
No permit is needed to dig wild ginseng, but if one is going to dig ginseng on someone else’s property, a written permission slip from the landowner must be carried on one’s person showing that the landowner is allowing him or her to harvest ginseng.
Besides growing naturally in the woods, ginseng also is cultivated, but roots from cultivated plants typically are worth less per pound than those that grow wild. People who want to grow ginseng on their own property must get a grower’s permit and have a determination done on their property before the ginseng is planted. Determinations are done from April 15 to June 15 each year.
Keep Laundry Detergent Packets from Children
The West Virginia Poison Control Center recommends the following:
- Always keep detergents locked up and out of the reach of children.
- Make it a habit to put laundry products away when one has finished using them.
- Follow the instructions on the product label.
- If one thinks a child has been exposed to a laundry detergent packet, call the West Virginia Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.
20 Years Ago
Week of September 4, 2003
SUGAR GROVE
Homespun Sayings
Describe Weather
The weather seems to be a favorite topic of conversation these days. The following are some weather wisdoms passed down by way of folklore:
- A sunshiny shower won’t last half an hour;
- Rain before seven, fair before eleven;
- The south wind brings wet weather; the north wind wet and cold together; the west wind always brings us rain; and the east wind brings it back again.
- March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers;
- Evening red and morning grey set the traveler on his way; but evening grey and morning red, bring the rain upon his head;
- Rainbow at night is the sailor’s delight, rainbow at morning, sailors take warning;
- If bees stay at home, rain will soon come, if bees fly away, fine will be the day; and
- When clouds appear like rocks and towers, the earth refreshed by frequent showers.
This Fall, Make
Relaxing a Goal
Let relaxation work for one this fall. No matter how frantic one’s life may be, relaxation breaks can help one return to one’s chores at hand with renewed energy, focus and determination. Try a short walk, deep breathing exercises, stretching or visualizing a peaceful scene. Take a class in that special interest one has, whether it is yoga or yodeling. This fall, try relaxation breaks.
30 Years Ago
Week of September 2, 1993
New Plantings
Most Sensitive During Times of Drought
Recent drought conditions have many West Virginians concerned about the health of their trees, shrubs, lawns and gardens.
The following tips from the West Virginia University Extension Service may help you maintain plant health without wasting water.
Put your watering needs in priority. New plantings are the most sensitive to drought damage. Make sure all young and newly planted trees receive one inch of water per week. Water the planting hole and two feet beyond to encourage root development.
Vegetable and flower transplants will need a thorough soaking several times the first week or two. Once the roots begin to grow, reduce watering to about one inch per week. It is better to apply this in one or two waterings than in light, daily sprinklings.
Established trees have large root systems to obtain moisture from the soil. They can tolerate the drought conditions for a while. Provide one inch of water to the area under the tree if the drought continues. Stressed, sick or young trees should receive at least one inch of water every 10 to 14 days.
Lawns usually can tolerate summer drought. The brownings are just a sign that the lawn is dormant. Unwatered lawns should remain dormant until regular watering can begin. Those who have planted a new lawn, or who insist on a lush, green appearance, need to supply one inch of water per week.
Keep lawns two to three inches tall during drought. Taller grass shades the roots and weeds while developing a larger, more drought-tolerant root system.
Remember to water early in the morning to reduce the amount of water lost to transpiration and to avoid disease problems and scorch. Applying a mulch to plants and gardens will reduce moisture loss and weed competition.
40 Years Ago
Week of September 1, 1983
205 Employed to Operate County Schools this Term
Pendleton County schools will open today with 100 classroom teachers and principals and 13 special education teachers employed for the 1983-84 term.
Employed in addition to the teachers are 17 teachers’ aides, seven secretaries, 10 cooks, 10 custodians and 36 school bus drivers.
The administrative staff of 12 persons brings the total number of personnel engaged in the operation of Pendleton County schools to 205 persons.
Unusual this year is the fact that all teaching positions have been filled and no vacancies exist on the first day of school.
60 Years Ago
Week of September 12, 1963
100 YEARS AGO
By LON K. SAVAGE
Editor’s Note—The following is one of a series of articles on the Civil War. Each weekly installment covers events which occurred exactly 100 years ago.
Little Rock Falls;
Sumter Repels Attack
Another important Confederate city—Little Rock, Arkansas—was captured by Federal troops 100 years ago this week.
The fall of Little Rock came under an onslaught of attacking Federals who heavily outnumbered the Confederates defending the city. But during that same week, Federal sailors and marines made another attack—a dramatic night attack in boats—on Fort Sumter at Charleston, South Carolina, and could show nothing for it but their dead and wounded.
The two attacks seemed to be representative of the Civil War during the early years—victory in the west, defeat in the east.
The attack on Little Rock had its origin back in July, when Vicksburg and Port Hudson had been captured and the Missisippi River had been cleared of Confederates. Once the job was done, Federal General Fredrick Steele was dispatched from Vicksburg to Helena, Arkansas, to join forces with Gen. John Missouri. The two got together on the White River and moved straight west for Little Rock with 14,500 men.
That was more than enough. At Little Rock, Confederate General Sterling Price, the former Missouri governor, had only 7,500 men to defend.
Davidson and Steele approached the city on September 10, moving along the Arkansas River, Davidson on the south bank, Steele on the north. Davidson made the first attack against 1,200 Confederates at Bayou Foruche, just east of the city.
There wasn’t much to the fight. Davidson attacked on two roads, while Steele opened an enfilading artillery fire from across the river. The Confederates, in a hopeless position, fell back through the city. Price, who had been across the river to oppose Steele, realized his plight, crossed back into the city, burned eight steamers and then retreated for Arkadelphia. It was as easy as that; total casualties numbered only 200 for both sides.
The Federal attack on Sumter was more dramatic but less successful.
Sumter had been reduced by artillery fire to rubble in recent weeks, and Federal Admiral John A. Dahlgren figured it would be a simple matter, to seize the historic but now useless fort. On September 8, he ordered 400 sailors and marines to attack the fort in boats, telling them they would find “nothing but a corporal’s guard to oppose you.”
The “corporal’s guard,” however, turned out to be more than 400 well armed Confederates, sent to the fort on suspicion of an attack. The Federals came in boats, pulled by a tug; 800 yards from the fort, the tug turned them loose, and the Federals swiftly rowed through the night toward the island fort.
Suddenly, a shout went up from the fort; a rocket shot into the air, and missles rained in from all sides on the luckless Federals from nearby Confederate land batteries and gunboats. From Sumter’s crumbling parapets, Confederates poured musket fire and grenades into the boats. Two boats landed on the fortress island, and their occupants were captured.
The others fled, and when the night was over, 124 of the 400 were dead, wounded or missing.
Next week: Chickamauga.
Randolph Ruddle
Opens Market
Randolph Ruddle announced today that he has acquired the Ruddle Meat Market property in Franklin and that he is opening a meat market and grocery store.
Ruddle said he acquired the proprety last Saturday and that he began his new business venture Monday.
The building is located on Spruce Street back of the E. Bowman and Brother store. The building was built in 1924 by Ruddle’s father, the late Early Ruddle, who ran a meat market in Franklin until his death in 1958.
Ruddle was employed by Dayton Distributors of Dayton, Va., until Monday when he opened his market here.
70 Years Ago
Week of September 10, 1953
EDITORIAL
BACK TO SCHOOL – – –
Last week school children all over the county picked up their pencils, tablets and books and started for the old “diploma mill.” This year a new 12-year plan will swing into high gear in the West Virginia school system. The object of the plan is to encourage more pupils to remain in school until high school graduation, and to adopt a course of study whereby the entire free school education of the pupil will be unified and follow a continuous plan without any breaks or interruptions.
School officials report that many pupils feel that their education is complete when they are given a diploma on completion of the eighth grade. The new plan will eliminate this feeling to a great extent.
Repetition of many phases of learning and of some studies has also created a need for a new program. Though repetition is a prime factor in learning, educational directors feel that in many cases, studies are repeated which do the pupil little or no good—perhaps even harm, for it tends to bore him and may affect his attitude toward other studies.
The new plan sounds reasonable and it may work. Goodness knows our school system needs a “shot in the arm.” Many people, even educators, have been wondering in recent years if our educational plan hasn’t missed the boat. Teachers blame the parents, the parents blame the teachers and the teachers and parents blame the system. The truth is that it isn’t the fault of any one group or factor but the fault of all the factors.
The future citizens of our communities should get the best education possible if we are going to build a strong and vital America.
Our hopes and dreams for tomorrow rest with a better informed, more useful, wiser citizenry.
