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collateral; the investigator should himself sift and verify everything of importance. As bearing on this subject, I would draw attention to a passage in Mr. PLAYFAIR's letter of April 10th, 1885, (published in the Bulletin), where he says 'it has been established as incontrovertible by Dr. HANCE that the ginger plant never flowers.' I have no doubt that our late much lamented friend, Dr. HANCE, may have been assured by the natives over and over again that such was the case, but I have seen Zingiber officinale flower profusely in the Canton delta fields, as you have evidence of in the herbarium specimens which I sent to Kew a few years ago. I have often been amused by the insist ance of Chinese that certain trees and plants never flowered, while not only the botanical character of the subjects alluded to contradicted my informants, but individual trees pointed out by them as never flowering have been known to me to flower regularly.
I have sent, per S.S. Glaucus, a box containing rhizomes of Zingiber officinale and of Alpinia Galanga, Willd., the former obtained from a preserving establishment in Hongkong, and the latter from a plant cultivated in these Gardens, which Dr. TRIMEN sent me from Ceylon, and which was part of a plant that had been supplied to him from Kew from the consignment which had been sent to England from Swatow by Mr. PLAYFAIR, as I understand. I am convinced that when you see these specimens you will feel assured that the Alpiniu rhizomes have not sufficient resemblance to preserved ginger either in appearance or taste to warrant the assumption that they are a source of that article. I showed a piece of the Alpinia rhizome to the people in the preserving establishment, and asked if that was the article they preserved; they indignantly protested against such an inference, and said the Alpinia was only used as a drug, but not preserved. I should not place too much reliance, as I have said, on the bare affirmation of natives, but we have the evidence of our own eyes to show that the Alpinia does not resemble preserved ginger.
So far as I have been able to learn, preserved ginger is made at Canton and Hongkong only. The Imperial Chinese Customs Returns for last year show that in junks alone the quantity of fresh ginger exported from Canton to Hongkong was over 6,000 piculs (a picul is 133 fbs.). Preserved ginger is manufactured in Hongkong to a large extent for export to the United States. 'Preserved ginger as understood by us is not made in Swatow. What is preserved there is made for native consumption, to be used medicinally or for cooking, and is exported largely to the Straits Settle- ments, and never to Hongkong. This kind of ginger is called Ng Mai Keung.' This, I under- stand, is an Alpinia, but it does not resemble the Canton ginger, and is, I believe, not preserved in syrup. The rhizomes of true ginger, Alpinias and Curcumas, are all classed generically by the Chinese under the name Keung. Alpinia Galanga, Willd., is Leung Keung; Zingiber officinale, Linn., Tai Yuk Keung; and Curcuma (turmeric) Wong Keung; and so on with other species. Now, I think that the native name of Keung, and the fact that the preserved ginger under consideration is not made at Swatow-which is 200 miles from Canton where it is made will afford a probable explana- tion of some apparent mistake made when Mr. PLAYFAIR sent home what has been called 'Chinese Ginger,' which mistake, supposing that one has been made, has resulted in the dissemination of what appears to be misleading information.
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I have taken the first opportunity I have had since the receipt of No. 19 of the Bulletin of fur- nishing you with this information, which I am sure you will be glad to receive.
W. T. THISELTON DYER, Esq., C.M.G., &c., Royal Gardens, Kew.
I am, &c.,
(Signed),
CHARLES FORD.
Percy Groom, Esq., F.L.S., to Royal Gardens, Kew.
WHAMPOA, CHINA,
November 19th, 1891.
DEAR SIR,-I thought you would be interested in having an account of some work I have done in relation to the source of Chinese ginger.
I told GARDINER some time ago that I had proved by an anatomical examination that Chinese Ginger is not Alpinia Galanga, and he may have told you-but I deferred sending information direct to you
till I could disprove or corroborate FORD's view that Chinese ginger is derived from Zingiber officinale. There is no shadow of a doubt concerning the correctness of his views, and he certainly explains the origin of the error. All the zingiberaceous plants known to the Chinese are termed Keung,' which I should think would preferably be translated by some such word as 'Gingerwort.' Ordinary ginger is 'Tai Yuk Keung' (large flesh ginger); candied ginger is Tong Keung (sugar ginger); dried ginger is Kon Keung; Galangal is 'Leung Keung (mild ginger); Curcuma is Wong Keung (yellow ginger). In addition I find in the dictionary the following phrases which I cannot personally guarantee: Shang Keung,' raw (edible) ginger; Tsz Keung' tender shoots of
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