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Farmer refuses to sell rude-shaped plant
Metro [UK] ^ | 27th April, 2012

Posted on 04/30/2012 9:36:58 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows

A Chinese farmer who pulled a bizarrely shaped root out of the ground has said he will not part with his plant.

The root, from the He Shou Wu plant, was unearthed in southern China by local farmer Lu Chen.

No doubt he was shocked when he pulled the root from the ground due to its resemblance to a human being, albeit with an overgrown appendage.

The root is often used in Chinese medicine to rejuvenate virility and strength and Lu Chen believes the obscene shaping of the root is a sign his farm will produce a good harvest next year.

'I think it is a sign that my farm will have new fertility and that I'm going to have a bumper crop this year,' he explained.

(Excerpt) Read more at metro.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Gardening; Local News; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: callanyvegetable; napl; pliapus; priapus
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To: Slings and Arrows

I have a suspicion that the root was grown on a mold much like the square watermelons the Japanese farmers incorporate.


21 posted on 05/01/2012 1:56:31 AM PDT by ResponseAbility (Islam...Imperialism in a turban.)
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To: Vigilanteman

HA HA HA HA HA...Homer Simpson with a woody.


22 posted on 05/01/2012 3:07:14 AM PDT by Amberdawn
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To: Slings and Arrows

My dad raised ginseng in the 50’s and sold it to Korea, China, whatever, because it came out of the ground looking like a human. They paid well, back then, especially for the real obscene ones. I think this is the same thing.


23 posted on 05/01/2012 3:30:30 AM PDT by Safetgiver (The predator class is upset because they are being shot.)
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To: Lazlo in PA

GIGGITY!


24 posted on 05/01/2012 3:33:50 AM PDT by SIDENET ("If that's your best, your best won't do." -Dee Snider)
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To: Vigilanteman

My rudely-shaped root would hit your rudely-shaped root.


25 posted on 05/01/2012 3:35:59 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Admin Moderator refuses to let me hit it. -- http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2875871/posts)
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To: Slings and Arrows

"Mine's bigger than that..."

26 posted on 05/01/2012 4:12:40 AM PDT by JRios1968 (I'm guttery and trashy, with a hint of lemon. - Laz)
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To: 21twelve
Interesting vegetable - but don’t understand the “overgrown appendage” bit. The ears maybe? ;)

This happened in China. They have a different "perspective" on things there. ;)

27 posted on 05/01/2012 4:16:04 AM PDT by whd23 (Every time a link is de-blogged an angel gets its wings.)
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To: Safetgiver; ResponseAbility

You are correct. True “Man-Roots” are hard to find and can be quite valuable. Growers have been ‘pruning’ roots for centuries to achieve the desired human shape.

When the ginseng plant (Panax family) enters dormancy in late fall, the roots are dug up and ‘clipped’ to form human-shapes. Since wild plants have been known to live well over 200 years, this allows plenty of time for growers & wild harvesters to shape the root as they wish. Patience is the key here.

I agree with ResponseAbility that this particular root was most likely grown in a mold or pruned. It’s just too perfect to be otherwise.

Every ginseng grower/digger that I’ve met have been most colorful in character, i.e. strongly independent, excellent outdoorsmen, hunters, fisherman, trappers and falsely called as eccentric or “crazy”. My kind of people! Bet your dad had lots of interesting stories.


28 posted on 05/01/2012 5:38:59 AM PDT by panaxanax (0bama >>WORST PRESIDENT EVER.)
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To: Slings and Arrows

Now there’s something you can hang your hat on!


29 posted on 05/01/2012 6:45:06 AM PDT by wyokostur
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To: wyokostur
It's the Doughnut Delivery Man!

The Bagel Guy looks a little different...

30 posted on 05/01/2012 9:04:22 AM PDT by null and void (Day 1197 of our ObamaVacation from reality [and what dark chill/is gathering still/before the storm])
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To: panaxanax

My old man was dedicated to the oil fields and jobs here in PA. He worked many leases and picked the wild (or feral?) ginseng and we had a sort of hothouse at home. I really don’t know who he sold the stuff to, but I remember helping pick, fertilizing and cutting the stuff for years. He made a good buck between oil, ginseng and working in a steel mill. (And shooting cornfield cows {deer}.)


31 posted on 05/01/2012 9:19:57 AM PDT by Safetgiver (The predator class is upset because they are being shot.)
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To: Slings and Arrows

“You are what you eat.”

Sometimes...MORE! lol


32 posted on 05/01/2012 11:57:30 PM PDT by dixiechick2000 (This hobbit is looking for her pitchfork...God help the GOP if I find it.)
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