8CITAMTNEM 425 



Commerce.— Ginget is extensively cultivated in British India, 



t 



In the Himalayas it is successfully reared at elevations of 4,000 

 or 5,000 feet, requiring, however, a moist soil. The Malabar 

 ginger, exported from Calicut, is the produce of the district of 

 Shernaad, situated to the south of Calicut. In the Dacca 

 district the natives cleanse the roots in boiling lime water, 

 which probably injures much of the fragrant pungency, whereas 

 m Jamaica they use simply plain water. 



In order to dry ginger into what is called " sonth '* in India 

 that is, to enable it to keep— the fresh roots are put into a 

 basket, which is suspended by a rope, and then two men, one 

 on each side, pull it to and fro between them by a cord 

 attached, and thus^shake the roots in the basket ; this process 

 is carried on for two hours every day for three days. After 

 this the roots are dried in the sun for eight days, and again 

 shaken in the basket ; the obj ect of the shaking being to take 

 off the outer scales and skin of the roots. Two days further 

 drying completes the process, and the ginger sells at about a 

 rupee, or two, for 6 or 8 pounds. The value of the East Indian 

 ginger exported went on increasing from about £63,000 (44,457 

 hundredweights) in 1881 to over £199,000 (133,280 hundred- 

 weights) in 1887; but in the last three years it has retrograded, 

 having fallen to £70,398 (61,774 hundredweights) in the 

 financial year ending March, 1890. 



Last year, of 63,500 cwts. imported into England, India 

 sent 53,500 cwts., Jamaica, 5,900 cwts., and West Africa, 2,600 

 cwts. (P. L. Simrnonds.) 



ZINGIBER CASSUMUNAR, Uoxh. 



Fig. — Roxh. in As. Research. 11, t, 7; Bot, Mng., t. 1426; 

 Rox. Monand. PL 



Hab. — India. The rhizomes, 

 III. -54 



