Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-25
THB SUPPLY OF GINGER.
Ranks Second Among Spices Accord
ing to the Import Tables.

From the Merchants Review.
Ginger is the root Of a kind of reed
grown both in the East and West indies
and China. also largely in Malabar, and
to certain extent in nearly all tropical
countries; it is also to be found, though of
poor quality, in most of our gulf states.
The stem or reed is an annual and grows
directly from the root every spring to the
height of about three feet with long blades
or lanccoIate leaves. resembling very much
in style and color our American maize or
corn. This reed or stalk terminates in an
oblong scaly spike, and from each of the
scales grows little blue and white flower.
This plant is now cultivated in very great
quantities in the West Indies. especially in
the Island Of jamaica from which place
the finest and most esteemed Is imported
Jamaica ginger is not only cultivated to
very great perfection. but the selecting,
scrapiug, drying and all the necessary de-
tails in it's preparation are observed with
the utmost care and nicely. Ginger is i'm
ported into this country either in the form
of the dried roots or IS preserve in syrup
comes from Cochin China, Africa and the
East West Indies The preserved ginger
from the West Indies Is much esteemed and
commands a very high price. The ginger
root grows in knotty branched pieces, in
low fenny or marshy soils, and has a
pleasant aromatic Odor and biting taste.
There are two kinds of ginger viz, the
black and the white. Black ginger
consists of the inferior roots, which have
been stepped in boiling water previous to
being dried in the sun. The color Of the
| darkest kinds, however. is not black, but
more of dirty brown or stone color. White
| ginger consists of the roundest and finest
roots scraped clean and then dried carefully
without being scalded. 1t is tirmer, less
| flbrous and more pungent than the black,
| and from the fact that the finest and sound
est roots are always selected, white ginger
| is independent of the manner of its prepa-
ration. superior to black, and always real
| ICES a much higher price in the market;
| but the difference of color depends wholly
| upon the manner of curing preparing.
! For both of these kinds the tubes or roots
| are allowed to ripen; that is, they are not
| dug up until after the annual stalks are
| withered.
| The principal varieties of ginger known
| in commerce are, white ginger-Jamaica.
| Cochin China, African, East Indian or Ben
| gal and Tellicherry; black OF dark ginger
| Jamaica and Malabar. Gingers imported
| into Europe are subjected to various modes
| Of treatment, which tend greatly to improve
and preserve them, for the finer it's quail
| ity the more susceptible is ginger to the
| ravages of the fly or ginger worm. These
| various modes of treatment are washing
| Frightening and bleaching, and the gingers
| are consequently known in the trade as
| Originals viz, the ginger as imported
| washed that which has been cleaned In
| water slightly acidfied: bright. the gin
| ger which has undergone the preparatory
! Course of bleaching, and ..bIeached,'' thai
| which has received a coating or dressing OF
| lime etc These latter modes of treatment
| of ginger until recently were carried on ex-
| clusively by experts in Europe, and 1t is
| only within the last few years that the arr
| has been introduced into this country
| When a preserved ginger is required the
| roots are taken up in the sap, the stalks
not being more than few inches long; the