306  Examination  of  Commercial  Ginger.  {^'z^lvm?1*' 
ing  the  rhizomes  with  lime.  The  United  States  Government  stand- 
ards do  not,  however,  permit  any  considerable  percentage  of  lime, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  require  the  gingers  of  the  market  to  be  care- 
fully garbled,  and  that  only  clean  pieces  be  used. 
The  principal  commercial  gingers  which  are  coming  into  this 
market  at  present  are  African,  Calcutta,  Calicut,  Cochin,  Jamaica 
and  Japan  (Fig.  i). 
African  Ginger.^ — This  sort  occurs  in  short-branched  pieces 
(Fig.  /)  that  vary  from  2  to  4  cm.  in  length,  and  from  6  to  12  mm. 
in  width.  The  pieces  are  partly  peeled  on  the  flattened  sides,  the 
patches  where  the  cortex  is  removed  being  smooth  and  of  a  brown 
color.  The  unpeeled  portion  is  longitudinally  wrinkled,  or  reticulate, 
and  of  a  grayish-brown  color.  The  fracture  is  short  or  short-fibrous. 
Internally,  the  color  varies  from  lemon-yellow  to  a  dark-bluish  or 
slate  color,  and  the  sections  exhibit  yellowish  oil  dots  and  light- 
yellow  to  garnet  resin  dots.  The  odor  is  strongly  aromatic  and  the 
taste  is  intensely  acrid. 
Calcutta  Ginger. — This  ginger  somewhat  resembles  the  African 
ginger,  but  the  branches  or  fingers  are  larger,  and  there  is  a  con- 
siderable proportion  of  shriveled  pieces.  The  pieces  vary  from  2 
to  7  cm.  long,  and  from  5  to  20  mm.  wide.  The  color  is  grayish- 
brown,  the  peeled  parts  being  of  a  grayish-blue  or  slate  color,  due 
to  the  presence  of  a  mold.  The  fracture  is  short  and  mealy,  or 
horny.  Internally,  the  rhizome  is  of  a  light  yellow  or  light  brownish- 
yellow  color,  and  exhibits  resin  dots  which  are  yellow  to  yellowish- 
brown  in  color.  The  odor  is  aromatic,  and  the  taste  starchy  and 
strongly  pungent. 
Calicut  Ginger. — The  pieces  of  this  sort  resemble  those  of  Cal- 
cutta ginger,  but  more  of  the  periderm  is  removed.  They  are  from 
2  5  to  5-5  cm.  long  and  from  10  to  18  mm.  wide.  The  color  is  more 
or  less  uniformly  light  brown.  The  fracture  is  short,  or  short- 
fibrous,  and  mealy.  The  color  internally  is  light  or  brownish-yel- 
low, the  resin  dots  under  the  lens  being  yellowish.  The  odor  is 
aromatic  and  the  taste  is  strongly  acrid. 
Cochin  Ginger. — The  pieces  are  more  or  less  plump  and  uniform 
in  size,  varying  from  2  to  4  cm.  long,  and  from  10  to  20  mm.  wide. 
A  large  proportion  of  the  periderm  is  removed,  and  the  color  varies 
from  a  light  brown  to  a  grayish-yellow.  The  fracture  is  short  and 
mealy.    Internally,  the  pieces  are  of  a  light  cream  color,  and  under 
