GINGER, Zingiber officinale.
Zangebil, ARAB., PERS. Zenzero, . . . . Ir.
Jabetub, . . . BALL Jasiaking, also Jait, Jev. Ada (green), . . . BENG. Sapadas, also Alya,MALAr. Kbyeng-khyuk (gr.), BUR. Inehiver, . . DL&LEAL. Khyeng-dsein (dry), „ Gengivre, . . .
Sunty, . . . . CAN. Inbir, . . . . Hrs. Kan-kiang, Peh-kiang,CH. Sunthi,Sringavera, SANSK. Gember, . . . . DLIT. Ingburu, . . .
Gingembre, . . Ftt. Jengibre, Agenjibre, SP. ,Ingwer, . . . . Gint. Inji (green), Shukku,Tiat.
Adrak (green), . . HIND. Shonti , TEL.
Sent (dry), . . „ Zenjefil, . Tung. Dr. Royle thinks that the Sansluit name Sringa vera is the source of many of its names.
The ginger plant is cultivated in the tropical regions of Asia, America, and Africa. In India it is generally cultivated in gardens, being sown about the commencement of the rains, in beds of about six feet square, and in a rich soil. The planting consists in dividing part of the green root, which the natives first soak in a mixture of cow-dung and water ; it is then planted about two inches deep and about one foot aptut. It requires& great deal of water, and to be kept clear of weed.s. When the stalks dry, the ginger may be taken up, although it is sometimes left in the ground for one or two years. It is better for remaining twelve months, and must be watered during the dry season. The stem reaches generally three or four feet in height, and is renewed yearly ; while tho root, which is the part known as ginger, botanically termed a rhizome, is biezudal. In Jamaica the roots are dug up in January or February when about A year old, and after the stems aro withered. They are well washed, freed from dirt, and in some eases, especially with the better kinds, the epidermis or outer coat is stripped off ; and hence the division of ginger into white, scraped, or uncoated, and into black, unseraped, or coated. In estimating the quality of g,ingtr, a variety of particulars aro taken into consideration, as whether the rhizomes aro coated or uncoated, their form, colour, and consistence.
Ont of 21 samples of the gingers sold in London, 15 were found by Dr. Ilassall to be adulterated with sago meal, potato flour, wheat flour, ground rice, cayenne pepper, mustard husks, and turmeric powder in various quantities, but in the majority of cases constituting the prin cipal part of the article. A great part of that found in the shops had been washed in whiting and water, under the pretence of preserving it from insects. The dark-coloured kinds are fre quently bleached with chloride of lime.
Great Britain imported 33,854 cwta. in 1870, and 32,000 cwts. in 1871. Ginger exported from India— Lbs. Rs. Lbs. Rs.
1875-76, 6,333,327 10,09,398 1878-79, 9,190,945 13,05,246 1878-77, 8,427,85(3 8,61,534 1870-80, 8,060,008 9,94,1491877-78, 4,547,404 6,93,941 The Malabar ginger exported from Calicut is the produce of the district of Shernaad, situated in the south of Calicut, a place chiefly inhabited by Moplas, who look upon the ginger cultivation as a most valuable and profitable trade. The soil of Shernaad is so very luxuriant, and so well suited for the cultivation of ginger, that it is reckoned the only place in Malabar where the plant grows and thrives to perfection. The only suit able kind of soil is that which, being red earth, is yet free from gravel, and the soil good and heavy. The cultivation generally commences about the middle of May, after the ground has undergone a 'thorough process of ploughing, harrowing, etc. At the commencement of the monsoon, beds of ten or twelve feet long by three or four feet wide are formed, and in these beds small holes are dug at three-fourths -to- one foot apart, which are filled with manure. The roots, hitherto carefully buried under sheds, are dug out, the good ones picked from those which are affected by the moisture, or any other concomitant of a half-year's exclusion from the atmosphere, and the process of clipping them into suitable sizes, for planting performed, by cutting the ginger into pieces of an inch and a half to two inches long. These are then buried in the holes,
which have been previously manured, and the whole of the beds are then covered with a good thick layer of green leaves, which, whilst they serve as manure, also contribute to keep the beds from unnecessary dampness, which might other wise be occasioned by the heavy falls of rain during the months of June and July. Rain is essentially requisite for the growth of the ginger ; it is also, however, necessary that the beds be constantly kept from inundation, which, if not carefully attended to, entirely ruin the crop. Great preca,ution is therefore taken in forming drains between the beds, and letting water out, thus preventing a superfluity. On account of the great tendency some kinds of leaves have to breed worms and insects, strict care is observed in the selection, and none but the particular kinds used in manuring ginger are taken in, lest the wrong ones might fetch in worms, which, if once in the beds, no remedy can be resorted to successfully to destroy them, and thus in a very short time they ruin the crop. Worms bred from the leaves laid on the soil, though highly destructive, are not so pernicious to ginger cultivation as those which proceed from the effect of the soil. The former kind, whilst they destroy the beds in which they once appear, do not spread themselves to the other beds, be they ever so close ; but the latter kind must of course be found in almost all the beds, as they do not proceed from accidental causes, but from the nature of the soil. In cases like these the whole crop is oftentimes ruined, The present mode of preparing the land for this crop in the West Indies, is by first care fully hoeing off all bushes and weeds from the piece intended to plant ; the workmen are then placed in a line, and dig forward the land to the full depth of the hoe, cutting the furrow not more than from five to six inches thick. The land is then allowe,d to pulverize for a short time ; it is then prepared for receiving the plants, by opening drills with the hoe, from ten to twelve inches apart, and the same in depth, chopping or breaking up any clods that may be in the land. Two or three women follow and drop the plants in the drills, say from nine to ten inches apart. The plants or sets are the small knots or fingers broken off the original root, as not worth the scraping. The plants are then covered in with a portion of the earth-bank formed in drilling. Great care and attention is required to keep them clean from weeds until they attain sufficient age. They throw out a pedicle or footstalk in the course of the second or third week, the leaves of which are of similar shape to that of the Guinea grass.
Ginger is very liable to rot, particularly if planted in too rich a soil, or where it may be subject to heavy rains. The general average of yield is from 1500 to 2000 lbs. per acre in plants, although as much as 3000 lbs. of ginger have been cured from one acre.
Ginger Preserve is made from the young shoots put forth every spring by the perennial rhizome. These shoots are carefully picked, washed, scalded, scraped, peeled, and then pre served in jars with syrup. Dried ginger of good quality, soft and mealy, inay be converted into excellent preserved ginger. The rhizomes, se lected with care, are to be immersed for three or four weeks in very weak syrup, se.arcely stronger than sugar and water, to which a small. portion of the carbonate of potash has been added. As soon as the ginger has become sufficiently soft, it is put up in very strong syrup of white sugar. Ginger preserve is imported into India solely from China, in cases containing half-a-dozen of jars each, the capacity of each jar being about 5 lbs. —Dr. P. Browne ; Poole's St. of Commerce ; Mason's Tenn. ; Hassall's Food ; Riddell's Garden ing ; .11PC Diet. ; Faulkner's Diet. ; Simnzonds.