Notes on agriculture in Cyprus and its products — John Shaqi
Notes on agriculture in Cyprus and its productsBevan, William
History
Notes on agriculture in Cyprus and its products
Bevan, William
Agriculture -- Cyprus; Produce trade -- Cyprus
Black Hamburg
Alicante or Black Tokay
Canon Hall Muscat
Lady Hastings
Royal Muscadine
Muscat of Alexandria
These are now being acclimatised, and it is hoped gradually to
distribute a large number of grafts.
Vine cultivation covers an area of about 140,000 donums and is in the
hands of some 15,700 vine growers.
Owing to defects of planting the vines of Cyprus do not in most cases
begin to bear fruit before the third or fourth year, while, if modern
methods were adopted, they would bear fruit in their second year and
attain their full growth in their fourth year.
What is known as the "willow-head" system of pruning has been very
general, with consequently poor results. Better methods have long been
inculcated and are now being more and more adopted. Manuring is but
rarely practised and ploughing is confined to lightly turning the
surface soil with a wooden plough, and this not every year. On the
higher slopes of the mountains terracing is common and necessary.
Grape mildew (_Oidium Tuckeri_) is prevalent in nearly all the vine
areas. Other diseases and pests of the vine met with are anthracnose,
pourridié, _Septosporium Fuckelii_, cuscute, _Cochylis_, _Zygæna
ampelophaga_ and _Pyralis_. Happily the stringent regulations which for
many years have been in force prohibiting the importation of any kind of
living plant have resulted in keeping the Cypriot vineyards free from
the scourge of phylloxera.
Sulphuring has become more general of late years. The Government has
done much to bring this about, and for fifteen years or more has
imported sufficient sulphur from Sicily, which has been placed in the
hands of village store-keepers and sold at a fixed price by the
Agricultural Department. This has never more than exceeded the bare cost
and more often has been issued at half cost and in times of distress
even gratis.
The vine-owners have been stimulated by the recent high prices for wines
to expend more time and money on this operation. The ignorant prejudice
against the effectiveness of sulphur as a cure for grape mildew has to a
great extent died out. False ideas of economy alone prevent its general
use.
Fresh grapes are largely consumed locally, and considerable quantities
are exported to Egypt, as shown by the following table:
Year. Quantity. Value.
_Cwts._ £
1904 12,025 1,854
1905 8,607 1,208
1906 9,563 1,487
1907 7,399 1,161
1908 6,807 1,331
1909 7,078 1,094
1910 7,588 1,216
1911 11,597 1,865
1912 12,565 2,028
1913 10,303 1,487
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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