S 4 NOTES ON AGRICULTURE IN CYPRUS 



Two fleeces from the Athalassa Farm were sent to the 

 Imperial Institute in May 1912, for examination and 

 commercial valuation. One was the fleece of a yearling 

 ram. This was clean, fairly soft and almost white. The 

 other was the fleece of a yearling ewe. This was clean, 

 slightly harsh and almost white, but was slightly coarser 

 than that of the ram. 



These fleeces were considered by a firm of London 

 brokers as an excellent class of carpet wool and likely to 

 meet always with a ready sale in the London market 

 (see BULLETIN OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE, vol. x. 1912, 

 p. 537). A similar opinion was expressed immediately 

 before the war (July 1914) by a London firm to whom 

 two bales of Cyprus wool had been sent, of which a part 

 had been purchased in the bazaar and washed and trimmed 

 by the Department and part came from the Athalassa 

 (Government) flock. It was considered as " an ideal wool 

 for carpet making or for blankets, but deficient in lustre 

 for braids." 



The actual yield per sheep, viz. 3 to 3 J lb., compares 

 unfavourably with that of Lincolns, which they most 

 closely resemble. This is due partly to breed, but 

 largely also to the conditions under which the sheep are 

 kept (see p. 17). 



Hemp 



The cultivation of hemp (Cannabis saliva) is practically 

 confined to the southern part of the Paphos district, and 

 there only in places where the water-supply is ample. The 

 plant is grown only for fibre, which is exclusively used for 

 rope-making, which is carried out by hand by the villagers 

 round about Ktima. It would be of advantage to have a 

 rope-making machine at work at a spot centrally situated 

 in the area of production. A simple hand-worked machine 

 is now being experimentally used and will, it is believed, 

 turn out a better class of rope. 



The plant grows well on fertile and irrigated lands. 

 Farmyard manure, and specially sheep manure, are gener- 

 ally applied, and chemical fertilisers are now also coming 

 into use. 



