S2 NOTES ON AGRICULTURE IN CYPRUS 



as " palia " or old. It is found profitable to leave the 

 cotton plants two or three years on irrigated land. The 

 second-year crop usually gives the heaviest yield. 



The average yield of unginned cotton on irrigated land 

 is about 120 okes (3 cwts.) per scala ; but as much as 250 

 okes can be obtained. " Wet " cotton, best quality, 

 yields i oke of lint from 3 okes of unginned cotton, and 

 "" dry " cotton yields about i oke of lint from 3! okes of 

 unginned cotton. 



There is much land well suited to cotton which for lack 

 of water cannot be utilised. If artesian water could be 

 found, there would be a very considerable extension of this 

 cultivation. 



There is a well-equipped little cotton factory at Fama- 

 gusta, and excellent cotton fabrics are made, especially in 

 Nicosia neighbourhood, Lapithos and Karavas, Lefkonico 

 and Gypsos and in the Karpas. These are known under 

 the names of " alaja " and " dimita." They are mostly 

 of good patterns, the material is strong and wears well, 

 and is being largely used, not only by the peasantry, but 

 also for making men's suits and ladies' skirts and cloths. 



An interesting article on the Cyprus Cotton Industry 

 is to be found in the BULLETIN OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE, 

 -vol. iii. 1905, pp. 327-334. 



Flax and Linseed 



The cultivation of flax (Linum usitatissimum), which 

 began to develop some twenty years ago, has declined 

 during the last ten years or so. The reasons for this are 

 that it is considered to exhaust the soil, the later handling 

 of the crop for fibre is troublesome and the market is 

 liable to rather violent fluctuations. It grows well in the 

 Messaoria plain, and when chemical manures are more 

 generally used it may come more into favour. Attempts 

 have been made to improve the quality by the introduc- 

 tion of Riga flax seed, but so far without success. There 

 is a small export of linseed, but owing to the primitive 

 methods of winnowing and cleaning it does not fetch the 

 best price. The quality of the cleaned seed is excellent. 

 Knowledge and care are needed in picking the crop at 



