It requires 3 lbs. of green root to make 1 lb. of dry root. The purer the water the whiter the ginger. Sometimes lime juice is added to the wash water, which gives a whiter root, but as lime juice contains sugar, it prevents thoro drying and mildew follows. Ginger is often subjected to a system of bleaching, or by immersion for a short time in a solution of chlorinated lime. The white-washed appearance which much of the ginger has is due to the fact of its being washed in whiting and water or even coated with sulphate of lime. Uncoated ginger varies from single joints an inch or less to flattish, irregularly branched pieces of several joints, the races of hands, and from 3 to 4 in. long. Each race has a depression on the summit showing the former attachment of a leafy stem. The color, when not white-washed, is a pale buff. It is somewhat rough, breaking with a short, mealy fracture, and presenting on the surface of the broken parts numerous short or bristly fibers. The best ginger grown comes from Jamaica. It is of a superior strength, fine flavor and a light, handsome color. A peculiar trade custom prevails in Jamaica with regard to ginger, which is not sold by weight or measure but by the “heap,” and the size of the heap governs the price and is an indication, to a certain extent, of the quality and quantity of the crop. If the heap is small, the price is high; if the heap is large, then the price is lower. If the races or hands, are finely shaped and large, there are fewer in the heap; if small, dark and mealy, the heap is made larger. The next best quality is Borneo or Cochin ginger, which closely resembles in appearance the Jamaica. It is not, however, so carefully prepared. African ginger, also termed Bombay or Calcutta, from the ports of shipment, is darker in color, has a coarser appearance, a harsher flavor and inferior aroma to either of the above, but contains a greater amount of oleoresin than they do and is very pungent. It is largely used for making ginger beer, essences, extracts, etc. Leaf ginger is ginger that has been sliced into thin flakes. Green ginger root, is that which has not undergone any process of cleaning beyond freeing it from the earth adhering. Imported in casks and used by wine makers, preservers, etc. Spent-ginger is whole ginger that has once been used, then fixed up to resemble good ginger and sold whole or ground. It does not possess a single one of the valuable properties of genuine ginger.