Echinacea (Brauneria angustifolia, fig. 6) is a native perennial plant of the aster family found on the prairies of the Middle West, occurring most abundantly in Nebraska and Kansas. The roots of the plant are used medicinally.

This plant has been found to do well under, cultivation in moderately rich and well-drained loam. It grows fairly well from seeds, which may be collected when ripe and kept dry until ready for use. Plants should be started in a well-prepared seed bed by sowing the seeds thinly in drills about 8 inches apart. The plants develop slowly and may be left in the seed bed for two years and then transplanted to the field in the spring and set about 18 inches apart In rows. Thorough cultivation is essential for the best results. The roots do not reach a marketable size under three or four years from the time of sowing the seed. They are harvested in the fall, freed from any adhering soil, and dried either in the open air or by means of low artificial heat.

Echinacea has not been cultivated on a scale large enough to give satisfactory data on the probable yield. The prewar wholesale price ranged from 22 to 60 cents a pound; in June, 1920, it was 60 to 65 cents a pound.