i8 NOTES ON AGRICULTURE IN CYPRUS 



They suffer in years of drought, but on the whole thrive 

 -wonderfully well on very scanty pasturage. 



Good work has been done of late years in the 

 improvement of Cyprus sheep at the Government Atha- 

 lassa Farm, and ewes and rams from the farm flock are 

 much sought after by sheep-owners, many of whom are 

 making efforts to ameliorate the breed. The question of 

 providing suitable forage also is not being lost sight of. 



Goats 



The goat has been a cause of much controversy for 

 many years and a source of discord between farmer and 

 shepherd. Owing to the absence of farm boundaries 

 the herds of goats (and sheep) continually trespass on the 

 cultivated areas, and the shepherds are at little pains to 

 restrain them when there is a chance of the animals getting 

 a good meal. Large sums in the aggregate are paid by 

 Avay of fines and damages, but the shepherds evidently 

 find that even so it is profitable to continue such practices. 



In consequence of the serious harm done every year 

 in the State forests by these animals, a law " For the 

 gradual exclusion of goats from the Island " was passed 

 in 1913 and came into operation on August i that year. 



As the subjoined table shows, the number of goats has 

 decreased, but it is doubtful how far this is due to the law, 

 and how far to the losses from goat-pox, which is very 

 prevalent, and to the shipments for military purposes 

 during the war : 



Year. Head. 



1880 .... 210,736 



1890 .... 

 1900 .... 

 1910 .... 



1913 (when the law was passed) 

 1918 .... 



237,475 

 243,397 

 276,794 

 242,524 

 191,017 



The goat is in many respects well suited to the Island, 

 and provides the villager with milk, cheese, meat, boots 

 and manure. The animals cost very little to keep even 

 apart from their depredations and thrive, especially in 

 the hills, under conditions unsuited to sheep and cattle. 

 They are, however, great enemies to agriculture and 



