Amount of imports of ginger into the United Kingdom, with the quantities entered for home consumption:—
| West India ginger. cwts. | Entered for home consumption. cwts. | East India ginger. cwts. | Entered for home consumption. cwts. | |
| 1831 | 3,551 | 4,709 | 849 | 79 |
| 1832 | 5,947 | 6,795 | 2,508 | 213 |
| 1833 | 6,064 | 6,570 | 10,049 | 1,099 |
| 1834 | 9,913 | 9,918 | 10,004 | 1,638 |
| 1835 | 8,321 | 8,982 | 4,489 | 1,647 |
| 1836 | 10,226 | 6,304 | 13,589 | 3,524 |
| 1837 | 10,933 | 9,905 | 23,876 | 3,386 |
| 1838 | 13,366 | 9,944 | 25,649 | 1,431 |
| 1839 | 8,996 | 7,213 | 29,624 | 914 |
| 1840 | 5,381 | 7,935 | 9,719 | 1,568 |
| 1841 | 4,446 | 5,523 | 5,292 | 1,177 |
| 1842 | 4,671 | 5,068 | 3,680 | 1,956 |
| 1843 | 4,013 | 5,953 | 4,106 | 3,254 |
| casks, &c. | casks. | bags. | bags. | |
| 1844 | 4,619 | 3,128 | 5,101 | 6,964 |
| 1845 | 6,033 | 4,000 | 8,165 | 7,938 |
| Total | Retained for | |
| ginger imported. | home consumption. | |
| cwts. | cwts. | |
| 1846 | 24,370 | 15,937 |
| 1846 | 20,010 | 15,163 |
| 1847 | 12,995 | 9,744 |
| 1848 | 13,748 | 10,454 |
| 1849 | 28,015 | 12,880 |
| 1850 | 33,953 | 16,543 |
| 1851 | 35,678 | 19,855 |
| 1852 | 20,297 | 18,691 |
GALANGALE ROOT is a good deal used in China, and forms an article of commerce, fetching in the London market 12s. to 16s. per cwt. in bond. It is the rhizoma of Alpinia Galanga. Its taste is peppery and aromatic. Externally the color of the root-stocks is reddish brown, internally pale reddish white.
1,280 cwt. of galangale root, valued at 2,880 dollars, was exported from Canton in 1850.
CARDAMOMS.
Cardamoms are the production of various species of plants of the same tribe as the ginger, and might be profitably cultivated with that aromatic root, as well as the Turmeric (Curcuma longa), which see.
Various species of Alpiniæ, Amomum, Elettaria, and Renealmia, appear to furnish the cardamoms of the shops, which consist of the oval, trivalvular capsules containing the seeds. The bright yellow seeds are used in medicine as aromatic tonics and carminatives; and for curries, ketchups, soups, &c. Their active ingredient is a pungent volatile oil. The least dampness injures the finer sorts. About 688 cwts. of cardamoms, and 5,000 cwts. of bastard cardamoms are annually exported from Siam, "We imported about 300 tons in 1849. The price ranges from 1s. 6d. to 3s. the pound. The estimated value of the cardamoms and pepper shipped from Ceylon in the past few years was as follows:—1846, £208; 1847, £246; 1848, £205; 1849, £454; 1850, £960; 1851, £771; 1852, £590. The" following are some of the plants from which cardamoms are procured.
1. Amomum Cardamomum, a Java plant, supplies the round cardamoms. It has pale brown flowers. The fruit varies in size from that of a black currant to a cherry.
2. A. angustifolium (Pereira), a plant having red blossoms; furnishes the large Madagascar cardamoms, and also supplies some of the seeds called "Grains of Paradise," which are, however, larger than those imported under that name.