44 NOTES ON AGRICULTURE IN CYPRUS 



greater the number of trees on a given area the greater will 

 be the profit. In a land where water is so precious the 

 -deep-rooted opinion is held that the more water a plant 

 receives the better it will thrive, and too frequent irriga- 

 tion accounts to a large extent for the widespread damage 

 caused by gumrnosis. Until lately pruning was scarcely 

 practised at all. Thanks to a system of model orchards 

 lately instituted by the Agricultural Department, better 

 methods are at last being introduced, and fruit-growers 

 are able to model their practice upon the work carried out 

 .on the specimen trees, alongside their own, reserved by the 

 Department for such demonstrations. 



Lemons are largely consumed by natives with their 

 food. The produce is of large size, thick-skinned and 

 juicy. Until some twelve years or so ago the fruit was 

 largely sold on the trees for shipment to Russia and 

 Rumania, but those markets failed, owing to the preva- 

 lence in Cyprus of scale disease and partly to loss through 

 rotting in transport. The export of oranges and lemons 

 $ias of late years been confined almost entirely to Egypt. 



Fig (Ficus Carica) 



This tree thrives everywhere, and is particularly cul- 

 tivated at Livadhia and Lefkara (Larnaca district), in 

 Paphos and at the Tylliria, where the small, sweet, white 

 variety, locally called " antelounika," is grown. There 

 -are but few true Smyrna figs, but this variety is being 

 multiplied by cuttings and also by grafting. Other good 

 Ucinds are the " sarilop " and " bardajik," of which there 

 are a few private specimens only, and the " vardika " 

 <which is more or less common, particularly at Morphou. 

 The Lefkara figs somewhat resemble those of Tylliria and, 

 -like the latter, mature naturally ; they are considered very 

 -good and are divided into two varieties, the " malantzana " 

 and the " kourtziatika." The figs of Ktema in Paphos 

 -are the common violet-coloured variety, but are larger, 

 and are mostly ripened artificially. 



Cyprus figs are only of moderate quality, though 

 -doubtless susceptible of improvement. They resist drought 

 -.and generally yield good crops every year. 



