XIII 
GINGER 
417 
he shipped seven barrels and one box containing 9 cwt. 
1 qr. 2 lbs. The produce of the barrels sold at 73s. 6d. 
per cwt., that of the box 73s. per cwt. Though the 
yield of his plantation was a poor one, it gave a net 
profit of £10 per acre. If, remarks Bovell, the yield had 
been as good as that of the Botanic station it would 
have been equal to £22:5: 6^ per acre. 
USES 
Spice . — Ginger is one of the most popular flavour- 
ing agents known, and has been so used for very many 
centuries, entering into confectionery, ginger beers, 
ginger champagnes, and other beverages. In most of 
these confections the dried rhizome, ground fine, is used, 
and most of the inferior grades of the spice are sold in 
the form of ground ginger. The highest grades are, 
however, commonly sold as imported, and grated for use 
as required. Like all ground spices, ground ginger is 
apt to be largely adulterated with wheat flour, ground 
rice, potato flour, sago, turmeric, mustard husks and 
cayenne pepper. 
In the East, fresh ginger rhizomes play an important 
part in curry, and in the Malay peninsula most of the 
ginger cultivated is used for this purpose locally. 
Preserved Gingers . — Practically all the commercial 
preserved ginger, i.e. ginger preserved in syrup, comes 
nowadays into the market from Canton. The ginger for 
this purpose is grown in alluvial flats round Canton, and 
seems to be a more fleshy variety. The season for 
preserving in China is July to October, and the United 
States Consul there gives an account of its preparation 
in a report quoted in the Agricultural News, viii. 121 
(1909), as follows : — “ The rhizomes are first thoroughly 
cleaned in water and boiled in earthenware pans for two 
or three hours. Afterwards transferred to copper pans, 
in which is put sufficient water to cover the rhizomes, 
and a quantity of white sugar in the proportion of 5 lbs. 
of sugar to 1 0 lbs. of ginger. The mixture is then boiled 
2 E 
