The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-01-21

bles that of ginger, but is bitter as
well as aromatic. The root,stock OF
Aloaaio GaLango, A. race'nosd, a.
ALI,lgh0s, have somewhat similar ar
omatic and pungent properties, and
are frequently used as substitutes for
ginger.
In India the cultivation is carried
on in the Hill States as follows. The
best "races" of the previous years
crops are selected and placed in a
corner fthe house, and smeared over
and coverd with COW dung to pre-
vent them becoming dry.
When the first rain falls, the land
is ploughed two or three times, and
then divided off into beds with lit
tie raised edge round each bed, ia
king care TO make openings toilet su-
perhuous water run off; for if water
lodges on the crop, the roots will rot.
Little pieces of the roots are then
buried 8 inches deep in the soil at in
tervals of 9 inches. The field is COW
erd with the leaves of trees to keep
the soil moist, and over these ma
nure is spread to the depth of halt an
inch. When it rains, the water, i'm
pregnated with manure, filters
through the leaves to the roots. Ar
tificial irrigation is given after the
rams. When the plants are about 2
feet high, to every shoot there will
be found about eight rhizomes, or
parts of the root. These are dug up,
and buried in another place Tor a
month, then taken up, exposed to the
sun for day, and are fit for use. A
began of land requires eight maunds
of ginger to plant and yields thirty
two maunds for frstrate crop. Gin
ger fit for planting, sells at 8 to 10
seers for the rupee; that for use, "A
to 80 seers the rupee. In order to
dry ginger into. "sonth," or for keep
ing, the fresh roots are put into a bas-
ket, which is suspended by q rope,
and then two men, one on each side,
pull it to and fro between them by a
cord attached, and thus shake the
roots in the basket; this process is
carried on for two hours every day
for three days. After this the roots.
are dried in the sun for eight days,
and again shaken in the basket. The
object OF the shaking is to take off
the outer scales and skin the roots.
Two days further drying completes
the process, and the "son:h" sells for
8 to 4 seers the rupee; Tnrmeric is
cultivated in the same manner; when
dug up, stepped in hot water day
and night, and then dried.
The African ginger is grown in
Sierra Leone; about half that pro-
duced comes to England, and the
other half goes to America. In 1868
the value of the ginger exported from
Sierra Leone was ELS, 917, and in
1869, e14,008.
Ginger is a good deal grown in
China, ard largely used in its fresh
state as condiment, and in med
icine. Some small quantity is ex-
ported dried, but it is black and hard,
and not much appreciated in COM
merce.
Ginger also appears in European
commerce as a succade, the young
shoots of the rhizome being peeled
and preserved in syrup. For this
purpose the rhizomes are lifted while
they are yet tender and full of sap,
before they have become hard OF
woody; the roots are carefully picked
and washed, and afterwards scalded
till they become tender enough tor
the purpose; they arelthen put into
cold water, and scraped and peeled
gradually; This operation may last
three or four days, the water on the
roots being changed frequently.
When thus prepared, they are put in
to Jars and coverd with the syrup,
and this is changed two or three
times, when they are ready tor ship
ment. The imports Of preserved
ginger are principally from China.
Wonderful Grease.
From the ondon Grocer. i.t t 4stf