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to its height and flowers about September 5 and fades again towards the end of the 

 year. When the {talks are wholly withered, the root is thought to be full grown 

 and faturated, and then fit to dig ; which is generally done in the months of Janu- 

 ary and February following. When thefe are dug up, they are picked and cleaned, and 

 then fcalded gradually in boiling water (b) : after this they are fpread and expofed to 



the fun from day to day until the whole be fufficiently cured , they are . then divided 



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into parcels of about one hundred weight each, and put into bags for the market : 

 this is called black Ginger. 



The white fort differs but little from this ; it is, however, more agreeable to the 

 eye, and generally more pleafing ; but the difference is wholly owing to the different 

 methods of curing them j for this is never fcalded, but infiead of that eafy procefs, 

 they are obliged to pick, warn" and fcrape every root feparately, and then to dry them 



in the fun and open air, which takes up too much time and pains for any 



real ad 



vantage it can produce. 



But to preferve this root in fyrup, as it is ufually done, it muit be dug while its 

 texture is yet tender and full of fap; and then the (hoots feldom exceed five 'or fix 

 inches in height : thefe roots are carefully picked, and wafhed, and afterwards fcalded 

 until they become tender enough for the purpofe ; they are then put into cold water 

 and fcraped and peeled gradually : this operation may laft three or four days, during 



but is frequently ihifted both for 



which time the roots are constantly kept in water, 



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cleanlinefs, and to take off more of their native acrimony. After they are well pre 



pared in this manner, they are put into jars, and covered over with a thin fyrup, which, 

 after two or three days, is fhifted and a richer put on ; and this is fometimes again re- 

 moved, and a fourth put on, but it feldom requires more than three fyrups to be well 

 preferved : the fhifted fyrups are not, however, ufelefs, for in thdfe countries they are 

 diluted and fermented into a fmali and pleafant liquor, commonly called cool drink. 



As the botanic characters of this plant have been but imperfectly defcribed hitherto, 

 and generally laid down from imperfect fpecimens ; I have been induced to give them 

 'here at large as they appear in the perfect flate of the plant. 



Periantium. Spatha duplex unifora, exterior membranacea conica Jlorem laxe 



cingenSy interior membranacea tenuior & minor tubo Jioris 



adnata, & Umbum cum genitalibus Jiricle involvens, in conum 



acuminatum leniterque comprejjkm produtta. 



Corolla, Monopetala, infer ne angujia tubulata 3 germini incidens -, limbus tripar- 



6cNectarium. titus, iaciniis oblongo-ovatis medio majori : $ Jinu huic oppofito 



emergit Nectarium crajfum oblongo-watum^ in acumen fmuatum 



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defnens. 



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Stamina. Filament a duo tubo Jioris adnata , anther a era fa ne&ario adnata : 



rudime?ita vero totidem fuperne libera per long itudinem tubi por- 

 recta, nullifque antheris- donata, lacinia majori Jioris fuppojita 

 funt. ' ' 





Piftillum. 



Germen Jubrotundum Jlori fuppofitum , Jlylus reBus Jimplex longitu- 

 dine jioris, & inter ant her as por rectus : Jligma craffius tubulatum 

 & ciliatum. , ■ 



Pericarpium. Capfula fubrotunda uniloculars, obtuse-triloba, tribus lineis 





Semina. 



longitudinalibus interne notata* 

 Plura, &c. fed pier umque abort iunt. 





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(b ) For this purpofe they have a large Kettle fixt in the field or fome convenient place, which is al- 

 ways kept full of boiling water during the whole procefs ; the picked Ginger is divided into fmali par- 

 cels, put into bafkets, and dipped one after another in the boiling water, in which each is kept for the 

 fpace of ten or twenty minutes; it is then taken up and fpread upon the common platform ; and thus 

 they proceed until the whole is fcalded ; but they always take care to change the water when it is highly 



impregnated with the particles of the root, 



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