20 



wines were perfectly sound, albeit aromatic. The use of sulphur appears 

 to be unknown, and yet the empty casks were perfectly sweet. Such, 

 apparently, is the effectiveness of resin. 



The Greek brandies I found to be of excellent quality, and I should not 

 be surprised to see them take an important position in European consumption. 



Although wheat is grown pretty nearly all over Greece, it is found prin- 

 cipally in Thessaly, that province which was added to Greece after the last 

 Russo-Turkish war. Unfortunately, this province appears to be in the hands 

 of a very limited number of large landowners, who get their lands worked 

 by the peasants on halves. Recently this arrangement has given rise to a 

 good deal of discontent and rioting, and, whatever may be the merits of the 

 case, it has not led to the best possible utilisation of the land. The average 

 area under wheat is said to be about 1,625,000 acres, to which correspond 



Greek Ploughman on the Reclaimed Land of Lake Kopais. 



about 1,250,000 acres under bare fallow. This brings up to nearly 3,000,000 

 acres the area directly or indirectly connected with wheat. I must add 

 that these figures are merely estimates, as agricultural statistics never have 

 been collected. Occasionally a summer crop of maize may precede the 

 wheat crop instead of bare fallow. Single-furrow ploughs appear to be in 

 general use, although in the reclaimed area of Lake Kopais 1 saw a double- 

 furrow plough drawn by two pairs of oxen. The bulk of the ploughs used 

 are wooden, similar to those still in use in Egypt. Iron ploughs, however, 

 are steadily becoming more common. The fallows do not appear to be very 

 well worked, and as a result the crops are frequently smothered in charlock 

 and poppies ; the latter have the advantage of being far more gorgeously 



