VINES AND WINES 41 



these, several are only to be found here and there in private 

 gardens. 



Five years ago several thousand Sultana vines were 

 imported by the Agricultural Department from Crete, and 

 these have now become fairly well distributed over the 

 Island and the produce is beginning to appear in the 

 market. These dried sultanas in 1918 sold for as much 

 as 45. per oke. 



Three years ago the following varieties of table vines 

 were imported from England by the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment : 



Black Hamburg Lady Hastings 



Alicante or Black Tokay Royal Muscadine 

 Canon Hall Muscat Muscat of Alexandria 



These are now being acclimatised, and it is hoped 

 gradually to distribute a large number of grafts. 



Vine cultivation covers an area of about 140,000 

 donums and is in the hands of some 15,700 vine growers. 



Owing to defects of planting the vines of Cyprus do 

 not in most cases begin to bear fruit before the third or 

 fourth year, while, if modern methods were adopted, they 

 would bear fruit in their second year and attain their full 

 growth in their fourth year. 



What is known as the " willow-head " system of 

 pruning has been very general, with consequently poor 

 results. Better methods have long been inculcated and 

 are now being more and more adopted. Manuring is but 

 rarely practised and ploughing is confined to lightly 

 turning the surface soil with a wooden plough, and this 

 not every year. On the higher slopes of the mountains 

 terracing is common and necessary. 



Grape mildew (Oidium Tuckeri) is prevalent in nearly all 

 the vine areas. Other diseases and pests of the vine met with 

 are anthracnose, pourridie, Septosporium Fuckelli, cuscute, 

 Cochylis, Zygcena ampelophaga and Pyralis. Happily 

 the stringent regulations which for many years have been 

 in force prohibiting the importation of any kind of living 

 plant have resulted in keeping the Cypriot vineyards free 

 from the scourge of phylloxera. 



Sulphuring has become more general of late years. 



