CITRUS FRUITS 41 



for eating and for use in confectionery, and the industry 

 has grown. 



A marked improvement has taken place in the pre- 

 paration of the raisins ; and specially qualified officials 

 of the Agricultural Department every year give practical 

 instruction on this subject in the vine villages. 



Citrus Fruits 



Oranges and lemons are very extensively grown in 

 Cyprus, whilst mandarines, citrons (" kitria ") and sweet 

 limes ("glykolemonia") are also found in every part of the 

 Island. In addition, the shaddock (" phrappa ") and 

 the bergamot orange are cultivated in the Island. 



The best and most common variety of the sweet orange 

 is the oval (sometimes round) Jaffa, grown everywhere,, 

 but specially at Famagusta, where there are numerous 

 orange groves. Another variety of good quality is grown 

 at Lefka. The trees of both varieties produce large, firm^ 

 thick-fleshed fruit. 



Bitter oranges are largely grown from seed for stock 

 on which the better kinds are grafted. Many thousands 

 of these, and also of the grafted plants, are annually issued 

 from the Government Nurseries. Much loss has been 

 sustained from time to time through disease, and in 1899 

 whole orange groves at Famagusta, Lefka and Kythrea 

 were uprooted or cut right back. With the expansion of 

 the Agricultural Department and a small qualified staff 

 it has become possible to bring these diseases somewhat 

 under control, and the orange and lemon production has 

 much increased, though gummosis and scale disease still 

 play much havoc. 



In the Varosha orange groves the trees are grown in 

 light, sandy soil, which is banked up round the trunk. 

 They are irrigated by means of the native alakati, or noria,. 

 or more often by air-motors, which in this locality are 

 much in vogue. 



The two most common causes of failure are the per- 

 sistent planting of trees too close together and over- 

 watering. Growers turn a deaf ear to all advice aimed at 

 changing these two bad habits. The native agriculturist 

 is convinced, beyond the reach of argument, that the 



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