300 “QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ocr., 1898. 
necessary to use wood as a source of heat, and, partly owing to the high 
temperature and partly from the ignorance of the operator, the product so far 
has been rather poor in quality, the colour many shades darker, much of the 
aroma was lost, and a smoky, burned flavour acquired: Other planters are 
trying the process on this year’s crop. 
A curious incident resulted during these experiments. The natives, 
through prejudice against innovations, boycotted the drying apparatus, and 
refused to furnish supplies at any price. Experiments were made with calcium 
chloride asa drying agent. The result did not equal samples produced by the 
native method of drying in the sun. Attempts made to dry the ginger after 
first slicing, as might be expected, resulted in great loss of flavour and pungency. 
My conclusions were that, when well conducted, the native method of careful 
peeling and curing in the sun would produce a handsomer and a better product 
than any process yet suggested. 
These observations were not undertaken with a view of making any 
complete analysis, and it was found that a microscopic examination by expert 
judges was far more reliable than any assay that could be made with the limited 
facilities present in the ginger-fields. A few such examinations were made as 
follows :— 
Ethereal Extract.—Exhaustion of the ginger with ether in a Soxhlet 
extraction apparatus. The resultant extract, after evaporation of the ether, 
was dried over sulphuric acid to remove moisture. From this extract the 
volatile oil was calculated by the loss on drying the ethereal extract at 110 
degrees .C. for three hours. The only results from this process that seemed to 
be of value was that the finer grades, when carefully dried, contained a higher 
percentage of volatile oil. 
Ginger dried, without removing the peel, gave somewhat higher results as 
to volatile oils than the peeled. The loss of this constituent was greater in a 
product dried by artificial heat, than when dried by sun. The amount of volatile 
oil found by aforesaid process was :—Lowest, 1 per cent.; highest, 3°20 per 
cent. The results as to ethereal extract, exclusive of volatile oil or of alcoholic 
extract from the ether-exhausted residue, seemed to be of little value, the 
different specimens giving such greatly changing amounts as to afford no 
guide. . 5 A 3 A “ * : : : ; ‘ , P 
The ruling price in Kingston and Montego Bay, for the heap, is 13d. (about 
8 cents). Heaps purchased by me varied according to quality, but the averave 
weight was from one quarter to half a pound. : 
The buyers of ginger for shipping are expert and accurate. They grade, 
sort, and price, with a quick eye and ready touch gained by years of practice. 
The highest grades are large-sized hands of light and uniform colour, free 
from evidence of mildew.. This grade is brittle and cracks easily, but broken 
pieces depreciate the value. Buyers also require the hands and fingers to be 
firm and full, without wrinkles or spots. They generally assort into four or 
five grades, that which is shrivelled and small being the lowest. The dark 
varieties form another; the heavy, tough, and flinty, a third. These four are 
finally asscrted by placing hands which are small, but of good texture and 
colour, as one grade; the larger-sized, well-bleached hands into the highest 
rades. 
S The ratoon ginger sorts generally bring the lowest price, as they are small, 
soft, and soggy, and lack flavour. Ginger gathered green shrivels much in 
drying, and is less aromatic and pangent than when fully matured. Ginger 
that fae mildewed is spotted, and the mildew starts a decomposition that 
affects the flayour. Ginger put in bags or laid away before being thoroughly 
dried will mould and acquire a musty odour and flavour, which it is impossible 
to remove. 
The largest-sized hands are carefully selected by buyers and shipped to 
special markets, usually to England. I noticed hands weighing as much as 
8 oz.; many of them weighing from 4 oz. upwards, 
Ginger is packed in barrels for shipment. 
