PRICKLY PEAR SPICES 65 



crop cannot be generally recommended to farmers, but it 

 is being grown by a few progressive stock owners under 

 Departmental advice. 



The wild beet (Beta vulgaris) is a native of the sea- 

 coasts of South-eastern Europe, and the garden beet-root 

 is much grown in Cyprus in certain localities, so, if 

 carefully cultivated, mangold wurzel, which is a variety 

 of B. vulgaris, might also do well in many parts and be 

 of great advantage to stock owners. 



Prickly Pear (Opuntia) 



The prickly pear grows wild as a hedge plant in Cyprus, 

 The fruit is eaten to some extent by villagers, but no 

 attempt has yet been made to use the stems as food for 

 animals. In Sicily very large quantities are so utilised, 

 and now that milch cows are coming more into demand in 

 Cyprus the value of the plant for fodder may become 

 recognised. Successful experiments have been made by 

 the Agricultural Department in mixing the juice of the 

 stems with lime for giving brilliance and permanence to 

 ordinary whitewash. There has been an occasional export 

 of the fruit to Egypt for consumption by Arabs. 



SPICES 

 Coriander Seed 



Coriander seed is the product of Coriandrum sativum, 

 Linn., an annual herb belonging to the natural order 

 Umbelliferae. The " seed," or more strictly fruit, of the 

 plant is employed in confectionery in making bonbons, 

 in the preparation of certain liqueurs and as an ingredient 

 for disguising the taste of medicines. In Cyprus it is 

 commonly used as a flavouring in cooking. 



A sample sent to the Imperial Institute in 1917 was 

 examined as a source of volatile oil, and the residue re- 

 maining after distillation was analysed as a feeding- 

 stuff. On steam distillation the ground seed yielded 0-48 

 per cent, of an almost colourless volatile oil with the 

 characteristic and pleasant odour of coriander. This 

 yield is below that furnished by Russian and German 

 coriander, but is about equal to that obtained from Morocco 



