NOTES ON AGRICULTURE IN CYPRUS 



A considerable impetus has been given to the produc- 

 tion and consumption of fresh cows' milk by the estab- 

 lishment of a herd of Devon dairy cows at the Government 

 Farm, Athalassa. Cows of Athalassa strain fetch high 

 prices, as much as 80 having been given recently for a cow 

 and several others have changed hands at 50 to 60. 



Cheese 



The Cypriot is a great cheese eater. The most popular 

 and commonly made cheese in Cyprus is that known as 

 Halloumi ; the next in order being the Paphos and Akan- 

 thou cheeses, and then, in imitation of the Greek cheeses, 

 the Agrafa, Kefalotyri and Kaskaval, all of which are of 

 a hard kind, while there is a small production of the Greek 

 soft cheeses Fetta and Telemes. 



There are no statistics as to production ; the export 

 figures in recent years as given in the official trade returns 

 are as follows : 



Year. 



1904 

 1905 

 1906 



1907 

 1908 

 1909 



1910 

 1911 

 1912 



1913 

 1914 



Halloumi. This cheese, though rather insipid, is very 

 popular, and forms a large part of the dietary of every 

 household. It is easy to make, needs no special appliances, 

 and is almost entirely made by the shepherds themselves. 

 It is made either from sheep's milk only, or, in the hills 

 where goats are numerous, from sheep and goats' milk 

 mixed, or in some places from goats' milk only ; especially 

 is this so in the mountains where sheep are not found. 

 The two kinds of cheese, i.e. that made from sheep's milk 

 and that from goats' milk, are easily distinguished, as 

 the former is rather soft and crumbly, while the other is 

 hard and separates out into flakes. 



