MULBERRY 91 



do much, both to encourage and cheapen the cost of growing 

 mulberry trees and assist the industry. A few such 

 societies have lately been formed. 



Mulberry 



This tree (Morus alba) is grown extensively for silkworm 

 feeding and is mostly found in those parts of the Island in 

 which the silk industry is centred, viz. in the Marathassa 

 valley and in the Karpas, fairly generally in and around 

 Nicosia, Kyrenia and in the southern parts of the Paphos 

 district. 



Little care is given to its cultivation. For the most 

 part, in all the older plantations, the trees are set too close 

 together. This is less noticeable in the newer plantations. 

 Pruning, where given, is defective and so is the method of 

 gathering the leaves. 



The usual method is to cut off, every year, the shoots 

 with the leaves on them, from about one foot above the 

 main branches. Two reasons are given for this by villagers, 

 (i) It is quicker and easier to cut off these shoots than to 

 pick off the leaves while still on the tree. The shoots 

 are brought into the " magnanerie " and there placed up- 

 right in water and the leaves can then be removed more 

 conveniently and at leisure. In this way the leaves remain 

 fresh two days. (2) By cutting these shoots in the 

 spring, i.e. during the silkworm-rearing season, which 

 begins in early April, fresh shoots are formed which bear 

 leaves in late summer and autumn. The latter afford 

 very welcome green food for cattle and sheep. These 

 leaves are stripped direct from the growing tree. The 

 effect of this second gathering is prejudicial to the tree, 

 which is thereby exhausted. The leaves produced the 

 following spring are fleshy and watery and in the un- 

 certain weather of spring are apt to induce flacherie. 



Agaves and Aloes 



Agave americana, A. rigida var. sisalana, Purer cea 

 gigantea. Aloe ciliata and A. frutescens all grow well and, if 

 properly cultivated and handled, might be worth more 

 attention than they at present receive. 

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