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
Cyprus possesses excellent honey-producing plants in the eucalyptus
trees, orange groves, "throumbia" or wild thyme, and other aromatic
plants.
In the neighbourhood of orange groves a competent bee-keeper can obtain
an average of 50 lb. of honey per colony; although unfortunately the
ordinary village bee-keeper gets little more than 6 to 10 lb.
Locally produced beeswax is of fine quality with delicious aroma and of
a bright yellow colour, said to be superior to that imported from Asia
Minor and Egypt.
The industry is susceptible of considerable development and, when
brought under more complete control, should be capable of establishing a
good export trade of honey and possibly of beeswax.
_Basket-making_
Basket-making is a considerable industry, as all fruit and much other
produce is transported in baskets mostly designed for the backs of
donkeys or mules. The export trade of fruit and vegetables creates a
constant demand (see Plate VII, fig. 2). The bulk of these baskets are
made of reeds (_Arundo_) which grow luxuriantly by the side of water
channels or wherever moist soil is found. This material is not an ideal
one for the purpose, as the baskets are easily crushed and lose shape,
to the detriment of the contents. The reeds are therefore often
stiffened by the introduction of an occasional breadth of some other
material, _e.g._ shinia (_Pistacia Lentiscus_), tremithia or myrtle. All
these are much used in basket-making, though the latter is heavy. There
is a native willow (_Salix alba_) and also the weeping willow (_S.
babylonica_). These have not been used until recently when, by the
efforts of the Agricultural Department, a number of these trees have
been pollarded and the new shoots have been found quite satisfactory for
the purpose.
Six years ago a number of osier cuttings were imported from England, but
unfortunately they have not succeeded so far owing to a succession of
dry years. The surviving plants were this autumn removed to a more
suitable site, but after suffering from drought they have now been
almost destroyed by heavy floods.
In order to encourage the manufacture of better baskets for the fruit
trade between Cyprus and Egypt the Agricultural Department provides
practical instruction in basket-making, and a qualified teacher pays
occasional visits to basket-making villages and demonstrates the work
and teaches improved patterns to the villagers and school boys.
_Fruit and Vegetable Preserving_
There is little doubt that the establishment of small factories for
canning or bottling fruits and vegetables would be a profitable
undertaking. Owing to the suddenness with which, in the heat of summer,
the fruits ripen in Cyprus, and the consequent glut that often ensues,
market prices fall to a point at which it does not pay to pick and
handle. Transport difficulties also make it precarious, in the case of
soft fruits, to attempt a sale outside the immediate place of
production. Increased cultivation is thus discouraged.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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