4:82 



GINGER. 



Several of tlie West Indian islands used to grow ginger, especially 

 Barbados, Hayti and Jamaica, but the cultivation for export is chiefly 

 now confined to Jamaica. 



In Jamaica it is propagated by division of the root, the smaller 

 pieces or protuberances being set, each of which throws up two dif- 

 ferent stems. The first bears the leaves, and rises sometimes to the 

 height of three feet or more, though its usual growth seldom exceeds 

 16 or 18 inches; when this spreads its leaves and grows to full per- 

 fection, the second stalk springs up, which is also simple and furnished 

 only with a few scales below, but at the top is adorned with a roundish 

 squamose flower-spike, and seldom rises above two-thirds of the height 

 of the others. The land having been well cleared and trenched, the 

 ginger is planted about March or April. It rises to its height and 

 flowers about September, and fades again towards the end of the year. 

 When the stalks are wholly withered, the root is thought to be full- 

 grown, and fit to dry, which is generally done in January and 

 February following. When these are dug up, they are picked and 

 cleaned, and scalded gradually in boiling water. After this, they are 

 spread out in the sun to dry, from day to day, until sufficiently aired 

 for packing. The larger spreading roots are generally called " hands" 

 in Jamaica, and will occasionally weigh half-a-pound ; they are also 

 termed "races." 



In 1874 there were 185 acres under culture with ginger in Jamaica. 

 The crop seems to vary a good deal, since we find over 18,000 cwt. 

 shipped in 1868, and not much more than 5000 cwt. in 1872, reco- 

 vering again to 10,551 cwt. in 1874, valued at 21,100?., but the 

 average for many years may be taken at 1,000,000 lbs. to 1,500,000 lbs. 

 The following have been the exports of ginger from Jamaica of late 

 years : — 



Lbs. 



1866 1,550,166 



1867 1,728,075 



1868 2,036,921 



1869 1,261,873 



1870 680,492 



Lbs. 



1871 632,031 



1872 599,766 



1873 815,659 



1874 1,181,789 



The ginger plant is extensively cultivated in India, from the 

 Himalayas to Cape Comorin. It is not exactly known to what country 

 the plant is indigenous, though Ainslie states it to be a native of China, 

 while Joebel asserts that it is a native of Guinea. In the Himalayas 

 it is successfully reared at elevations of 4000, or 5000 feet, requiring 

 a moist soil. The Malabar ginger, exported from Calicut, is the 

 produce of the district of Shernaad, situated to the south of Calicut. 



In the Dacca district the natives cleanse the roots in boiling lime 

 water, which probably injures much of the fragrant pungency ; whereas 

 in the West Indies, they use simply plain water. The leaves and 

 shoots of the broad-leaved ginger [Z. Zerumhet) are used as greens in 

 Bengal. It grows wild in the Concan," and in the woorls about 

 Calcutta. The underground stem of this species resembles that of 

 ginger, but is bitter as well as aromatic. The root-stocks of Aljpinia 



