rhizomes, each bearing an "eye" (bud), 
are placed in furrows about one foot 
apart and covered with a few inches of 
soil. The lazy planter leaves portions 
of the rhizomes in the soil from year 
to year so as to avoid the necessity of 
planting, such ginger being known as 
"ratoon ginger" in contradistinction to 
the "plant ginger." The planted gin- 
ger soon sprouts, sending up shoots 
which require much sunlight and rain, 
both of which are plentiful in Jamaica. 
The field should be kept free from 
weeds which is not generally done for 
several reasons. In the first place 
pulling the weeds is apt to loosen the 
soil about the rhizomes which induces 
the development of "ginger rot," per- 
haps due to a fungus. Secondly, the 
Jamaica ginger planter is naturally 
lazy and does not like to exert him- 
self. The careful planter burns the 
soil over before planting so as to de- 
stroy the seeds of weeds. In brief it 
may be stated that ginger is planted, 
tended, and gathered much as po- 
tatoes are in the United States. As 
soon as gathered the rhizomes are 
freed from dirt, roots, and branches 
and thrown into a vessel of water pre- 
paratory to peeling. Peeling consists 
in removing the outer coat by means 
of a narrow-bladed knife. As soon as 
peeled the rhizomes are again thrown 
into water and washed. The object of 
keeping the "roots" in water and wash- 
ing them frequently is to produce a 
white article. To this end bleaching by 
means of burning sulphur and chlorine 
fumes has been resorted to. Some 
ginger, especially that of Jamaica, is 
dusted over with powdered lime; this 
colors the ginger white very effectively. 
The bleaching processes also serve to 
destroy parasites which may infest the 
ginger before it is thoroughly dried. 
The drying or curing of ginger is 
done in the sun. A piece of ground is 
leveled and laid with stone and cement. 
Upon this the rhizomes are spread 
from day to day for from six to eight 
days. At night and during rains they 
are placed under cover. The small 
planter does the curing upon mats of 
sticks, boards, palm or banana leaves 
raised somewhat above the ground. 
Very frequently the drying is done 
upon leaves placed directly upon the 
ground. 
Not by any means all the ginger 
upon the market is peeled. The 
Jamaica ginger usually is; the African 
ginger is usually unpeeled, and hence 
dark in color; the Chinese ginger is 
usually partially peeled. Peeling 
makes the product appear whiter and 
hastens drying very materially, but 
much of the ethereal oil and active 
principle is thereby lost since it occurs 
most plentifully in the outer coat. 
The ginger crop impoverishes the 
soil very rapidly; every few years a 
new field must be planted. Forest soil 
is said to yield the best crops and in 
Jamaica thousands of acres of forest 
are annually destroyed by fire to pre- 
pare new ginger fields. Ginger ap- 
pears upon the market either whole or 
ground. Unfortunately the ground ar- 
ticle is oftentimes adulterated; for in- 
stance, with sago, tapioca, potato, 
wheat, and rice starch, with cayenne 
pepper, mustard, and other substances. 
Ginger has been an important com- 
mercial and household article ever 
since the first century of our era. 
Poets and prose writers of the past and 
present have praised ginger and the 
many preparations having ginger in 
their composition, because of their 
aromatic pungent taste and stimulating 
effect. The opening quotation from 
Shakespeare indicates the properties 
of ginger. That it was a highly-valued 
spice during the time of Mandeville 
( 1 300-1 372) is evident from a quota- 
tion from his "travels." 
"Be alle that contree growe the gode 
gyngevere (ginger), and therefore 
thidre gon the Marchauntes for Spice- 
rye." 
Green ginger pickled in sugar was 
so 
