n or other crops between the trees,
a procedure which tends to lessen the productiveness of the trees. The
system of irrigation applied is also very defective. Irrigation, while
improving the quality and quantity of edible olives, is not desirable in
the case of press olives.

As to pruning, Cypriots would have none of it until within the last five
years. By dint of patient and constant persuasion, some few of the
larger owners were induced to let their trees be pruned by a staff of
pruners under the direction of the Agricultural Department (see Plate
VI). Much ridicule--and at times threats--was hurled at both the pruners
and the tree owners, who were assured by the villagers that for their
folly they would undoubtedly lose their trees. The results belied all
these fears, and now within the space of some four to five years the
practice of pruning has become fairly general, and a good number of
villagers have qualified themselves as expert pruners and are kept
regularly employed by private persons. As a consequence of this a great
amelioration is noticeable in the olive trees in many parts and the
yield and quality of olives have been improved.

The method of gathering olives by beating, however, continues. The fruit
so knocked to the ground becomes dirty and bruised, and quickly
ferments, when stored, to the detriment of the oil. This mode of
gathering by beating damages the young twigs and branches, whose bearing
capacity the following year is thus impaired.

Little care is taken in selecting the olives for oil. Not only are they
dirty and bruised, but unripe or diseased fruit, as well as overripe
fruit that has fallen from the tree, is collected together
indiscriminately.

[Illustration: PLATE VI.

Pruned Olive-trees at Metochi of Kykos.]

The usual practice is to spread out the olives as received, and
unsalted, on the mud roofs of houses in order to give off a part of
their water before grinding.

The procedure is then as follows:

They are first of all taken to the crusher or grinding mill. This
consists not of two stones, as in Greece, but of one stone, drawn by
pony, mule or donkey.

For the first quality of oil the olive stones should not be broken, but
generally speaking, insufficient care is paid to this and the stones
are, for the most part, crushed. The crushed olives (zimari, paste) are
then removed to the press, which is worked by hand, with one exception
of an hydraulic press at Akanthou. At t