o<3  MONTHLY.  tx> 
Vol.  XVI.]  COLOMBO 
GINGER. 
Ch.  Sawkt^,  f.l.r. 
HIS  very  widely-used  aromaiic 
is  fiirniohed  by  the  roots  of  the 
Zingiher  offlcinal p.  (Roscoe),  an 
Indian  herbaceous  plant,  with 
creeping  jointed,  woody  root- 
stocks, from  which  are  sent  up 
every  year  stems  surrounded 
by  sheathing  leaves  arranged 
in  two  ranks.  Its  cone-shaped 
spikes  of  flowers  are  thrown  up  from  the  root-stock. 
The  plant  is  largely  cultivated  both  in  the  East  and 
the  West  Indies;  also  in  Africa  (Sierra  Leone)  and  in 
Queensland  (Australia).  The  so-called  Chinese  and 
Siamese  gingers  are  identical,  but  both  of  them  are 
the  produce  of  another  plant,  viz.  the  Alpinia  Galanga 
(Willd).  Yet,  considering  the  wide  distribution  of 
Zingiber  officinale,  it  is  quite  possible  that  the  true 
ginger  may  also  be  cultivated  in  some  parts  of  China. 
The  quality  and  commercial  value  of  the  dried 
rhizome  from  different  localities  varies  considerably, 
being  influenced  very  much  by  the  method  of 
cultivation,  collection,  and  preparation. 
Ginger  is  largely  produced  in  all  the  warm  and 
moist  parts  of  India,  up  to  an  elevation  of  1000  to 
5000  feet.  The  best  pieces  of  the  previous  year’s 
harvest  are  selected  and  sheltered  in  a corner  of  an 
outhouse ; the  heap  is  then  covered  over  with  cow- 
dung  to  keep  the  roots  from  drying  up.  The  land 
is  prepared  by  ploughing  it  up  two  or  three  times, 
and  then  dividing  off  into  beds,  with  a little  raised 
edge  round  each  bed,  care  being  taken  to  make 
openings  to  allow  superfluous  water  to  run  off;  for 
if  water  stands  on  the  crop  the  roots  will  rot.  Pieces 
of  the  roots  one  or  two  inches  long  are  then  buried 
(jhree  or  four  inches  deep  in  the  soil  at  intervals  of 
nine  inches,  and  the  field  is  next  covered  over  with 
the  leaves  of  trees,  which  keep  the  soil  moist ; over 
tlij  l>avei  is  spread  to  a depth  of  half  an 
inch ; when  rains,  the  water,  impregnated  with 
filters  readily  through  the  Uttves  to  the 
August  ist,  i8g6.  [No. 
roots.  Artificial  irrigation  is  not  employed  during  the 
rainy  season,  but  after  that  period  it  is  necessary. 
During  the  first  three  mouths  of  the  dry  season  the 
field  is  weeded  three  times.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
the  plants  will  be  about  two  feet  high,  having  eight 
fibrous  tubers  to  each  shoot ; these  are  dug  out  and 
buried  in  another  place  for  a month.  They  are  then 
taken  up,  and  if  intended  for  use  as  “ green  ginger, " 
are  simply  exposed  to  the  sun  for  one  day.  If  in- 
tended for  dry  ginger,  the  fresh  roots  are  put  into 
a basket,  which  is  suspended  by  a rope,  and  two  men, 
one  on  each  side,  pull  it  to  and  fro  between  them 
by  a rope  attached,  and  thus  shake  the  roots  in  the 
basket;  this  process  is  carried  on  for  two  hours 
each  day  for  three  or  four  days.  After  this  the  r 
are  dried  in  the  sun  for  eight  days,  and  again  shaken 
in  the  basket.  A two  days’  further  drying  complet  s 
the  process. 
In  Jamaica  (where  the  finest  ginger  is  produced) 
it  has  been  ascertained  that  the  soil  which  yields 
the  very  highest  quality  known  in  the  market  is  the 
deep,  black  soil  of  the  virgin  forest ; but  to  grow  ginger 
under  this  condition  involves  the  destruction  o larg 
areas  of  forest.  Magnificent  trees  six  feet  in  diameter 
may  be  seen  in  some  districts  lying  rotting  on  the 
ground,  while  the  ginger  cultivators  have  gone  further 
to  the  centre  of  the  island.  The  plan  adopted  for 
clearing  a forest  is  for  a cultivator  to  invite  a few 
of  his  friends  to  a “ cutting.match  ” ; he  provides 
food,  etc.,  and  the  laborious  work  of  felling  trees  is 
carried  on  merrily,  and  without  much  expense.  After- 
wards fire  is  applied,  and  the  place  is  burnt  over. 
This  burning  is  considered  very  important ; probably 
because  the  resulting  deposit  of  the  mineral  matters 
or  ash  returns  to  the  soil  those  inorganic  constituents 
which  had  been  abstracted  therefrom  by  the  trees. 
Besides  undoubtedly,  the  fire  also  sweetens  the  ground, 
corrects  sourness,  and,  moreover,  it  destroys  insect 
pests.  Some  cultivators  will  grow  ginger  only  in 
freshly-cleared  woodlands,  and  the  next  year  they  move 
on  to  a new  clearing ; but  although  they  get  in  this 
way  very  fine  ginger,  it  is  at  the  expense  of  forest 
iaod.  Albert  Towa  was  opt  ao  long  ago  a oeoti^ 
By  .T. 
