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the maximum exposure to the solar rays. Small planters use 

 a drying hurdle, formed of pieces of wood placed side by side 

 and covered with banana or palm leaves. The ginger should 

 be carefully turned over during the process of drying at least 

 once daily. Six or eight days are generally required for the 

 process, during which the ginger loses about 20 per cent, of its 

 weight. Good ginger still retains 7 to 1 - per cent, of moisture, 

 as shown by drying at 100 C, but in badly dried specimens 

 this may amount to 25 per cent. In some seasons this sun- 

 drying cannot be carried out, and the whole crop is, therefore, 

 lost in consequence of attacks of mould. Attempts have been 

 made to dry ginger without peeling it, but the product is black 

 and worthless. The same ill-success has attended the use of a 

 desiccator, such as is used for fruit in North America. In 

 China a totally different method of procedure is adopted. The 

 ginger is rasped, so that it is obtained in the form of a powder, 

 which is then dried and used as a condiment. 



Another account is given in the " Proceedings and Journal 

 of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India," for 

 1902, as follows :— ' 



Ginger ; the Cultivation and Preparing of. — -The following 

 information is taken from Long's " Jamaica " : — " Ginger is 

 propagated by the smaller pieces, prongs, or protuberances of 

 the root, each of which throws up two dif erent stems ; the 

 first bears the leaves, and rises to the height sometimes of three 

 feet, but its usual growth seldom exceeds 18 inches. It thrives 

 best in a rich cool soil, and. therefore, what has been 

 recently cleared from wood is well adapted to the culture of it, 

 more especially as ginger is supposed to be a great impoverisher 

 of land. In such a, soil it grows so luxuriantly that a large 

 spreading root will weigh about a pound. It is, however, 

 remarked, that what is pioduced from a clayey, tenacious soil 

 shrinks less in scalding, while such as is raised in richer, free, 

 black mould would lose considerably in that operation. The 

 land intended for cultivation is first well cleaned with the hoe, 

 then slightly trenched, and planted about the month of March 

 or April. It attains its full height and flowers from August to 

 September, and fades about the close of the year. When the 

 stalk is entirely withered the roots are in a proper state for 

 digging. This is generally performed in the month of January 

 and February. After being dug they are picked, cleansed, and 

 gradually seethed, or scalded in boiling water ; they are then 

 spread out and exposed every day to the sun till sufficiently 

 dried, and after being divided iuto parcels of 100 lbs. each they 

 are packed in bags for the market ; this is called black ginger. 

 The manner of scalding the roots is as follows : —A large pot 

 or copper is fixed in the field, or some convenient place, which 



