Wintergreen is usually gathered in October or at the end of the growing season. The plants are carefully dried and packed in bags or boxes for marketing. For the production of the volatile oil the plants are soaked in water for about 24 hours and then distilled with steam. Over 22,000 pounds of wintergreen oil were produced in this country in 1909 and 6,000 pounds in 1914. The prewar price of the oil distilled from the wintergreen plant as quoted in the wholesale drug markets generally ranged from $3 to $5 a pound. Recently the lack of labor has reduced the output of oil, and in consequence the price has advanced. The oil became practically unobtainable on the markets in October, 1919, at which time it had reached a price of $11 a pound. Collectors usually receive from 4 to 5 cents a pound for the dry herb. The results of numerous trials indicate that, on account of the small yield, wintergreen production under cultivation is not likely to be profitable at the prices quoted. WORMSEED, AMERICAN. American wormseed, or Jerusalem oak (_Chenopodium ambrosioides anthelminticum_), is a coarse weed, occurring commonly in waste places and often in cultivated ground throughout the eastern and southern parts of the United States. The seeds (fruits) and the volatile oil distilled from the tops of the plant are employed in medicine. This plant grows well under cultivation in almost any soil, but a good sandy loam is preferred. It is now cultivated for oil production only in a small area in Carroll County, Md. The seed is sown in well-prepared beds about March 1, and between May 15 and June 15, when the seedlings are 4 to 5 inches tall, they are transplanted and set about 10 inches apart in rows about 3 feet apart. The soil is kept entirely free from weeds by shallow cultivation throughout the growing season. Harvesting is usually begun early in September or as soon as the seeds have taken on a black color, but before the plants have turned brown. If harvesting is delayed until the plants are fully mature there will be considerable loss through shattering and a diminution in the yield of oil when they are distilled. The crop is harvested with large knives or sickles, either by cutting off the entire plant at the ground or by cutting the branches separately. The latter method saves the labor of handling a quantity of useless woody material and also requires a smaller still capacity to handle the crop. After cutting, the plants are laid out on the ground in rows and allowed to cure for about three days before they are distilled.