Edible Products. 



300 



[October, 1910, 



Next the cleaned and decorticated 

 ginger is transferred to the lime cistern. 

 This contains lime water of the consis- 

 tency usually considered sufficient for 

 white-washing walls. Here the ginger 

 remains for some time, during which it 

 is stirred once or twice to effect equal 

 soaking and permeation of lime into it. 

 Afterwards the roots (rhizomes) are 

 transferred to small shallow trays. 

 These latter are made of wicker work 

 and are 9 to 10 inches diameter. The 

 trays are taken to the bleaching room 

 and placed on the shelves mentioned 

 above. One room of the standard di- 

 mensions holds 300 of these trays, a 

 hundred going to each shelf and each 

 basket taking 5 lbs. of green ginger. 

 Seven pounds of powdered sulphur is 

 put on the pan, and fire started from 

 outside. The door is now closed and 

 remains so for four hours. The ginger 

 absorbs all the fumes produced by the 

 vaporisation of the sulphur in the pan, 

 Afterwards the door is left open for a 

 short time, and theu the trays are taken 

 out, and the ginger is spread out in the 

 sun for drying. The fumigating oper- 

 ation is done again the next day and 

 repeated a third time the day after, the 

 material being dipped in lime water 

 before every fumigation. Eight and 

 nine pounds of sulphur are used for a 

 second and third bleachiug, and the 

 exposure to the fumes inside the room 

 is 12 and 6 hours respectively. The 

 ginger is dried in the sun before each 

 successive fumigation, Sometimes lim- 

 ing is neglected before the first fumi- 

 gation, only cleaning and washing being 

 done. But this is said to lower the 

 quality of the article in estimation of 

 the purchasers. 



Precautions.— The fumes of sulphur 

 are poisonous and choke the breath 

 of persons who inadvertently go into 

 the room immediately after opeuing it. 

 The doors are kept open for a few hours 

 after the required interval of fumigation 

 is over, in order to let out the remnant 

 of the sulphur vapours into the atmo- 

 sphere outside. Coolies get in afterwards 

 to take out the baskets. These men 

 smear their bodies with coconut oil to 

 prevent injury to their skins (the only 

 garment ou the body of these men is a 

 langoti, a strip of cloth tied at the 

 waist), both by sulphur vapour and lime 

 water spatteriugs. 



The green ginger is purchased locally 

 at the rate of Rs. 100 per khandi of GOO 1 bs. 

 So 1,500 lbs. cost Rs. 250, and the cost of 

 bleachihg it is Rs. 11-4-0, at the rate of 

 Rs. 4-8-0 per khandi (total Rs. 260-4-0). 



The average yield of ginger per acre 

 on this side is 8,000 to 10,000 lbs,, and the 



cost of converting this into "sunth" 

 would be about Rs. 60 to Rs. 70 at the 

 above rate. Sulphur at Alleppey costs 

 Rs. 40 to Rs. 45 per maund, and it will 

 perhaps cost less here (Poona), as this 

 place is closer to Bombay whence the 

 supply is obtained. 



THE CULTIVATION OF THE 

 BANANA IN TRAVANCORE. 



(Prom the Agricultural Journal of India, 

 Vol. V., Part III., July, 1910.) 

 The central and northern parts of 

 Travancore have the advantage of two 

 monsoons, and are, therefore, specially 

 suitable for the cultivation of the banana. 



As far as can be ascertained the 

 species grown is Musa paradisiaca. 



A well-drained deep rich red soil is 

 most suitable, but the crop also grows 

 well iu medium black soil. About a 

 year before planting, the soil is ploughed 

 frequently, and the ground is closed 

 witn mud walls or fences to protect the 

 crop from the cattle. The time for 

 planting varies according to localities, 

 but it is generally between December 

 and February. 



When the soil is well prepared, pits 3 

 feet deep and 3 feet round are dug 8 feet 

 apart ; an acre contains about 1,200 pits. 

 To manure the pits, dried leaves are 

 burnt within them, and the ashes are 

 well mixed with loose soil to fill up three- 

 fourths of their depth. This also protects 

 the plant from white ants. The shoots 

 are then planted in the pits and manured 

 with fresh cowdung. The pits are then 

 filled with earth up to the level of the 

 ground and covered over with dried 

 leaves to protect them from the sun. 

 The shoots are not watered, but occa- 

 sional showers help them to strike root 

 and grow. When they make a fair start, 

 they are manured with cowdung (fresh 

 more preferable) and green leaves. 



Most of the plantations when estab- 

 lished continue to produce fruit for ten 

 or more years, provided the soil is regu- 

 larly ploughed, weeded and manured- 

 But yearly the old stams are cut out, 

 and fruit is obtained from the young 

 selected shoots which grow about the 

 parent plant. When the banana buuch 

 is cut, those suckers which are not re- 

 quired and the stem which has produced 

 Iruit are removed to make room for the 

 other stems which are intended subse- 

 quently to produce fruit. 



Fibre can be extracted from the stems, 

 and this industry is not neglected. 



