96 NOTES ON AGRICULTURE IN CYPRUS 



duty ; on locally grown tobacco ^\cp. per oke transport 

 duty and 35. 6%cp. per oke banderolle duty. There is, 

 however, this difference, that the money leaves the Island 

 when the tobacco is imported and remains and fructifies 

 when it is locally grown. 



Tobacco cultivation is in many ways well suited to 

 this Island, as a great part of its cultivation as well as the 

 gathering may be done by women and children. It need 

 not therefore make any serious demand upon man labour, 

 which is already insufficient, and much of the work can be 

 performed by those who are unfit for heavy field work. 

 It is a summer crop, which is greatly in its favour, the 

 quality when grown " dry " being much finer than when 

 irrigated. Its introduction broadens the basis of cultiva- 

 tion, provides a revenue from land that would otherwise 

 lie fallow and is a useful element in any system of rotation. 

 As it calls for careful preparation and thorough cultivation 

 of the soil it has a great educative influence on a people 

 prone to slovenly, primitive husbandry, and corn crops 

 following tobacco have frequently given a larger, more 

 uniform yield. 



At the same time it is an open question whether the 

 crop can be grown and the leaf cured by the Cypriot farmer 

 to produce a tobacco which, under normal conditions, will 

 successfully compete in quality and price with the Mace- 

 donian tobacco. 



TANNING MATERIALS AND DYE-STUFFS 

 Tanneries are fairly numerous and large quantities 

 of skins are tanned and sold to native boot-makers. 

 Before the war, goat- and sheep-skins and ox-hides were 

 practically the only kinds handled, the two former being 

 mainly used for the uppers of boots. The top-boots worn 

 by villagers are nearly all made from goat-skin, locally 

 called " totmaria." Since the war pig-skins and dog- 

 skins have been also used. Camel-skins are often employed 

 for making soles. 



Pine bark and sumach are the native tanning sub- 

 stances chiefly used in the local tanneries. The pine is 

 one of the commonest forest trees of the Island. Shinia 

 leaves (Pistacia Lentiscus) are also used (see p. 51). 



