XIII 



GINGER 399 



the stock is left in the ground to throw up fresh stems, 

 and produce fresh rhizomes, it is known as " ratoon 

 ginger." Some planters leave the ratoons in the ground 

 till they become practically exhausted, and then either 

 fallow the ground or plant some other crop. Eotation 

 of crops is seldom really practised in the tropics in 

 the way that is considered essential in Europe. THe ~ 

 usual way of the Chinaman in the Eastern tropics with 

 such crops is to continue planting the same crop in the 

 same ground till, gradually deteriorating, it ceases to be 

 remunerative, or till the price goes down owing to over- 

 production. He then throws it out and plants with 

 some other crop which promises a higher remuneration. 



V Ginger is considered an exhausting crop, and woulct 7 

 certainly pay best if grown in a rotation system with 

 other crops. 



v Much of the ginger in Jamaica is cultivated as a 

 garden plant, with bananas, chilies, etc. in small lots, 

 and this lends itself better to rotation than cultivating 

 it on a large area as a permanent crop. 



\, The ginger appears above-ground about ten to 

 fifteen days after planting, under good circumstances, 

 but may be as long as two months before it begins to 

 show. Planted ginger is dug in December or January, 

 or on till March in Jamaica, and about the same time 

 in most parts of India. Eatoon ginger in Jamaica is 

 lifted between March and December. 



During the period of growth little requires to be 

 done beyond weeding. In the dry season of the Punjab, 

 from October to January, the beds require irrigation. 

 Manuring is not always continued after the plants are 

 in the ground, but in Bengal the plants are top-dressed 

 with 100 Ibs. of oil-cake, consisting of equal proportions 

 of mustard cake and two of castor cake. 



^ Ginger is known to be ready for lifting when the 

 green leafy stems turn yellow and wither, and this 

 usually happens when the flowers are over. The plant 

 does not always produce flowers. Indeed, in some 

 places flowers are very rarely seen. In Canton it 



