32 NOTES ON AGRICULTURE IN CYPRUS 



best lands in a good year. When rains are very late and 

 spring weather is unfavourable, a farmer often fails to 

 recover even the seed. 



Much might be done to increase the yield by better 

 methods of husbandry, by the use of improved implements 

 for cultivating and reaping, and by the use of threshing 

 machines. An immense quantity of grain is consumed by 

 birds (larks, sparrows, doves, etc.), which at times literally 

 strip the fields and continue their depredations on the 

 threshing-floors . 



Wheat is sown from October to December ; a field 

 which has had a winter crop is pastured after the harvest 

 until January ; in January and February it is broken up 

 and cross ploughed and sown immediately after with a 

 spring or summer crop. 



The crop is cut about May-June. It is cut with a 

 sickle (SpeTrdvi), tied into sheaves, and carried on donkeys 

 or small carts to the threshing-floors. The sickle is larger 

 than the European one, and is often provided with bells 

 (" koudounia " or " sousounaria ") to frighten the snakes, 

 and the handles are ornamented with leather tassels. 



Several varieties of wheat are grown in the Island, 

 mostly of the hard kinds, these being preferred by millers. 



The following English varieties have been imported and 

 tried during the last four years : Improved Treasure, 

 White Stand Up, and Improved Red Fife. The two former 

 failed, being too late in maturing ; the latter is still under 

 trial, but it is not very attractive, being a late variety, 

 and it gives a smaller yield than the native kinds. The 

 same remarks apply to several wheats obtained from India 

 and South Africa and which are still under trial. 



Barley 



This crop is sown about the same time as wheat, if 

 anything slightly earlier ; and it is ready for the sickle 

 three or four weeks before wheat. When the straw is short 

 the plant is uprooted, not cut. 



It is sown at the rate of i to i J kiles to the donum, and 

 may be expected to yield from 10 to 15 kiles ; but 30 kiles 

 is not uncommon in the plains, and even much larger yields 

 have been recorded from time to time. 



