46 NOTES ON AGRICULTURE IN CYPRUS 



and is used mostly in making jam and preserves, while the 

 " kerasi " is more for table purposes. 



More grafted trees are now coming into bearing and 



11 White-hearts " are now sold in the bazaar at about 



12 cps. per oke. " Black-hearts " are also beginning to 

 make an appearance. 



Efforts are being made to introduce the cherry tree to 

 other hill villages, and there seems no reason why its 

 cultivation should not become general in the higher parts 

 of the Island. This fruit travels well and a fine market 

 awaits it in Egypt. 



Owing to the prohibition of fruit exports during the 

 war, a small industry has grown up for drying the " kerasi. " 



Banana 



The local name of the banana is Sykiton Adam (Adam's 

 fig), from the belief that Adam made an apron of the leaves. 



There is some hope that the cultivation of this delicious 

 fruit may become more taken up in Cyprus than has hitherto 

 been thought possible. Paphos has for several years had 

 the reputation of possessing fruit-yielding trees of good 

 quality. Offshoots from some of these have been trans- 

 planted to Larnaca, and there are now several gardens in 

 which a fair quantity of fruit ripens each year. At 

 Kyrenia and Lapithos there are also a good number of 

 trees. The fruit is of a different variety from that of Paphos 

 and Larnaca, the shape being longitudinally angular, 

 whereas the latter kind is longitudinally round and larger. 



Five years ago the Agricultural Department obtained 

 some special varieties from Zanzibar. These are now 

 beginning to yield fruit, and offshoots are being distributed 

 in the Island. 



Azarol Hawthorn 



This hawthorn (Cratcegus Azarolus), known locally as 

 " mosphilia," grows wild scattered about over the country. 

 The fruit makes an excellent jelly. The tree is an excellent 

 stock on which to graft the pear tree. 



In the higher regions another species, C. monogyna, is 

 found. 



