XIII 
GINGER 
399 
the stock is left in the ground to throw up fresh stems, 
and produce fresh rhizomes, it is known as ‘‘ ratoon 
ginger.” Some planters leave the ratoons in the ground 
till they become practically exhausted, and then either 
fallow the ground or plant some other crop. Eotation 
of crops is seldom really practised in the tropics in 
the way that is considered essential in Europe. The 
usual way of the Chinaman in the Eastern tropics with 
such crops is to continue planting the same crop in the 
same ground till, gradually deteriorating, it ceases to be 
remunerative, or till the price goes down owing to over- 
production. He then throws it out and plants with 
some other crop which promises a higher remuneration. 
Ginger is considered an exhausting crop, and would 
certainly pay best if grown in a rotation system with 
other crops. 
Much of the ginger in Jamaica is cultivated as a 
garden plant, with bananas, chilies, etc. in small lots, 
and this lends itself better to rotation than cultivating 
it on a large area as a permanent crop. 
The ginger appears above - ground about ten to 
fifteen days after planting, under good circumstances, 
but may be as long as two months before it begins to 
show. Planted ginger is dug in December or January, 
or on till March in Jamaica, and about the same time 
in most parts of India. Ratoon ginger in Jamaica is 
lifted between March and December. 
During the period of growth little requires to be 
done beyond weeding. In the dry season of the Punjab, 
from October to January, the beds require irrigation. 
Manuring is not always continued after the plants are 
in the ground, but in Bengal the plants are top-dressed 
with 100 lbs. of oil-cake, consisting of equal proportions 
of mustard cake and two of castor cake. 
Ginger is known to be ready for lifting when the 
green leafy stems turn yellow and wither, and this 
usually happens when the flowers are over. The plant 
does not always produce flowers. Indeed, in some 
places flowers are very rarely seen. In Canton it 
