rhizomes, each bearing an "eye" (bud), 

 are placed in furrows about one foot 

 apart and covered with a few inches of 

 soil. The lazy planter leaves portions 

 of the rhizomes in the soil from year 

 to year so as to avoid the necessity of 

 planting, such ginger being known as 

 "ratoon ginger" in contradistinction to 

 the "plant ginger." The planted gin- 

 ger soon sprouts, sending up shoots 

 which require much sunlight and rain, 

 both of which are plentiful in Jamaica. 

 The field should be kept free from 

 weeds which is not generally done for 

 several reasons. In the first place 

 pulling the weeds is apt to loosen the 

 soil about the rhizomes which induces 

 the development of "ginger rot," per- 

 haps due to a fungus. Secondly, the 

 Jamaica gmger planter is naturally 

 lazy and does not like to exert him- 

 self. The careful planter burns the 

 soil over before planting so as to de- 

 stroy the seeds of weeds. In brief it 

 may be stated that ginger is planted, 

 tended, and gathered much as po- 

 tatoes are in the United States. As 

 soon as gathered the rhizomes are 

 freed from dirt, roots, and branches 

 and thrown into a vessel of water pre- 

 paratory to peeling. Peeling consists 

 in removing the outer coat by means 

 of a narrow-bladed knife. As soon as 

 peeled the rhizomes are again thrown 

 into water and washed. The object of 

 keeping the "roots" in water and wash- 

 ing them frequently is to produce a 

 white article. To this end bleaching by 

 means of burning sulphur and chlorine 

 fumes has been resorted to. Some 

 ginger, especially that of Jamaica, is 

 dusted over with powdered lime; this 

 colors the ginger white very effectively. 

 The bleaching processes also serve to 

 destroy parasites which may infest the 

 ginger before it is thoroughly dried. 



The drying or curing of ginger is 

 done in the sun. A piece of ground is 

 leveled and laid with stone and cement. 

 Upon this the rhizomes are spread 

 from day to day for from six to eight 



days. At night and during rains they 

 are placed under cover. The small 

 planter does the curing upon mats of 

 sticks, boards, palm or banana leaves 

 raised somewhat above the ground. 

 Very frequently the drying is done 

 upon leaves placed directly upon the 

 ground. 



Not by any means all the ginger 

 upon the market is peeled. The 

 Jamaica ginger usually is; the African 

 ginger is usually unpeeled, and hence 

 dark in color; the Chinese ginger is 

 usually partially peeled. Peeling 

 makes the product appear whiter ancl 

 hastens drying very materially, but 

 much of the ethereal oil and active 

 principle is thereby lost since it occurs 

 most plentifully in the outer coat. 



The ginger crop impoverishes the 

 soil very rapidly; every few years a 

 new field must be planted. Forest soil 

 is said to yield the best crops and in 

 Jamaica thousands of acres of forest 

 are annually destroyed by fire to pre- 

 pare new ginger fields. Ginger ap- 

 pears upon the market either whole or 

 ground. Unfortunately the ground ar- 

 ticle is oftentimes adulterated; for in- 

 stance, with sago, tapioca, potato, 

 wheat, and rice starch, with cayenne 

 pepper, mustard, and other substances. 



Ginger has been an important com- 

 mercial and household article ever 

 since the first century of our era. 

 Poets and prose writers of the past and 

 present have praised ginger and the 

 many preparations having ginger in 

 their composition, because of their 

 aromatic pungent taste and stimulating 

 effect. The opening quotation from 

 Shakespeare indicates the properties 

 of ginger. That it was a highly-valued 

 spice during the time of Mandeville 

 ( 1300-1372) is evident from a quota- 

 tion from his "travels." 



"Be alle that contree growe the gode 

 gyngevere (ginger), and therefore 

 thidre gon the Marchauntes for Spice- 

 rye." 



Green ginger pickled in sugar was 



so 



