I then caused inquiries to be made concerning the manufacture of 
preserved ginger manufacturers stated that only one sort of 
rhizome was ever mixed with it. In particular they stated that no 
variety of galangal rhizome (Leung Keung) was ever used in the manu- 
facture of ginger. 
Hence so far it was safe to conclude that whatever Chinese ginger 
might be, it could not be Alpinia Galanga. 
It remained to test Mr. Ford’s view that Zingiber officinale, Linn., 
was the source of Chinese ginger. At the end of October I ordered 
the 
mens of Zingiber officinale, Linn. 1 also had fresh ginger purchased 
in ; 
z 
rhizomes the starch-grains were alike (flattened discoid for the most 
part) and utterly different from the elongated club-like, almost rod- 
shaped, grains of Alpinia Galanga (Hong Kong specimen). These 
two rhizomes also eed in structure with those obtained earlier in 
Finally I endeavoured to purchase other sorts of fresh zingiberaceous 
n all cases I 
es I 
used in flavouring, &c., came from distant parts, and that only the 
ginger for preserving grew in the immediate neighbourhood. But 
shown by anatomical observations, inquiries from the Chinese and 
8 fl Mr. Ford, in his report, said: “The 
Chinese ginger is apparenily inore succulent, and the rhizomes are of 
larger size than the West Indian article, but there is no specific 
* difference in the plant," 
It is well known that zingiberaceous rhizomes vary in structure 
according to tho circumstances under which they are cultivated; for 
“ like masses sent to this country from China differed 
“ thing that the ordinary ginger plant ( Zingiber officinale) could 
produce.” 

