Cumin. See Drugs, pp. 809-10.
Galangal or Galingale (FR., Galanga ; GER., Galgant).—The galangal root now met with in European commerce is the rhizome of the lesser or Chinese plant (Alpinia officinarum), cultivated in Hainan Island, S. China, and probably also in some of the adjacent mainland provinces, while the greater or Java galangal (A. Galanga) is rarely seen amongst us. In E. Europe, particularly Russia, it is used as a spice, for flavouring tea and liqueurs, and in cattle medicine. Shanghai exported 370,800 lb., value 3046/., in 1869 ; and Kiungchow, 2113 piculs (281,733 lb.) in 1877, and 5661i piculs, 2194/. in 1879, the latter stated officially to come entirely from the mainland opposite. It is of a dark-brown colour, and powerfully pungent.
The essential oil is described on p. 1421.
Gentian (Fa., Gentiane ; GER., Enzian).—Gentian is the dried root of G. lute; a native of open grassy places on the mountains of Central and S. Europe, as far north as the Suabian Alps, near Wiirzburg. The roots of several other species are sometimes collected and mixed with it, viz. :— (1) G. purpurea, found in meadows on the Apennines, in Savoy, Switzerland, Transylvania, and S.-NV. Norway, and a variety in Kamschatka ; (2) G. punctata, indigenous to the Alps of S.-E. France, Savoy, S. Switzerland, extending E. to Austria, Hungary, and Roumelia ; (3) G. pan nonica, met with only on the mountains of Austro-Hungary. G. CatesboM [Saponaria] is gathered for home consumption in the United States. The route are collected and dried. Our supplies come mostly from Germany, but partly Mao from Maraeilles. Our imports in 1870 were 1100 cwt. In England, it is used medicinally (see p. 811), but principally as an ingredient of cattle foods. In Bavaria and Switzerland, advantage is taken of its 12-15 per cent. of uncrystallizable sugar to make from it a liquor known as Enziangeist or " gentian-spirit." Ginger (FR., Gingembre ; GEL, Ingteer).—Ginger is the dried rhizome, either scraped or unscraped, of Zingiber officinale [Amomum Zingiber], a reed-like plant indigenous to Asia, and uni versally cultivatA3d in the warmer parte, but not known wild ; now to be found alao in the W. Indies, S. America, Tropical W. Africa, and Queensland.
In Jamaica, propagation is effected by. division of the root, the pieces being planted in well cleared and trenched land in March-April, flowering in September, and falling towards the end of the year ; when the atoms are quite withered, generally about January, the roots are dug up, picked, cleaned, gradually scalded in boiling water, eun-dried for several days, and packed, forming " hands " or "racos" of so-called " coated" (i.e. not deprived of epidermis) ginger. Jamaica had 227 acres under this crop in 1875-6, and 144 in 1877-8. The exports from the ieland were 1,261,873 lb. in 1869, only 599,766 in 1871-2, 1,613,764 in 1875-6, and 908,603 in 1877-8. The
Loudon rnarket values of Jamaica ginger are approximately 4i-121. a cwt. for fine, and 2f-5/1. for ordinary to good. Formerly Barbados and Hayti used to grow ginger in conaiderable quantity ; but the latter now exports none, and the ehipments of green ginger from the former were valued at only 561. in 1877, and 411. in 1878. Our imports from the British W. Indies were 15,594 cwt. in 1876.
Little is known about the production of ginger in Sierra Leone. lu 1868, the value of the export was 18,9171. ; iu 1869, 14,0081. Our direct imports were 6612 owt. in 1878, and 11,951 in 1879. About half the produoe comes to England, and the other half goes t,o America. The London market value of African ginger is only about 18-25s. a cwt.
The cultivation of ginger in India extends from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin. In the Hill States, the best "races " of the previous year are smeared with cow-dung and placed in a corner where they will not dry up. After the first raiu, the land is ploughed 2-3 times, and divided into little beds which will shed the water readily. Root-sections are then planted 3 in. deep and in. apart, and covered with dead leaves and in. of manure. Watering is resorted to in the dries. When the plants are about 2 ft. high, the rhizomee are dug up, buried for a month, sun-dried for a day, and are ready for use. To get it into sonth, or keeping condition, the fresh rhizomes aro ehaken in a basket for 2 hours daily for 3 days, then sun-dried for 8 days, and again shaken. Thus the outer skin is removed, and 2 days' further drying finish it for the market. In Dacca, the natives cleanse the roots by boiling liine-water. In Mysore, a red soil free from atones is considered best ; between 11 April and 11 May, the ground is hoed, and made into ridges 18 in. broad, 18 in. high, and 18 in. apart, with perpendioular sides ; two rows of cuttings are put into each ridge, slightly oovered with earth, and protected by a screen of bushes. Between mid-June and mid-July, the shoots appear, and 10 days later the bushes are replaced by email twigs, and weeding ia done by baud. About mid-December to mid-January, the roots are fit for pulling. Those intended for replanting are mixed with a little red mud, and immediately buried in a pit ; those intended for sale are deprived of the outer skin by scraping with a knife, sprinkled with the ashes of burnt oow-dung, and dried on mats for 8-10 days. Our imports of E. Indian ginger were 7472 cwt. from Bombay and Sind in 1877, increased to 25,781 cwt. in 1879 ; 7202 cwt. from Madras in 1877 ; 16,470 cwt. from Bengal in 1878. The London market values are about 16-22s. a owt. for Bengal, and 23-125s. for Cochin.