View PDF version of this page

from Limasol might as well be a railway without any! branch traffic, as it is entirely independent of other' roads : thus, should carts be established to convey thej wine of the district to Limasol, they must be loaded{ by mules that will bring the produce from the roadless] vineyards in the usual manner by goat-skins, and thej wine will be tainted as before. A network of cheap;; useful cart-tracks can be easily made throughout thej wine districts, and they MUS T be made before any! improvement in the quality of the wines can take; place. The goat-skins and the tarred jars must be^ thrown aside before any change can be expected I these cannot become obsolete until the necessary roads; for the conveyance of casks shall be completed. If we regard the present position of the vine-; grower, we must advise him thus :— " The first necessity! is to improve your quality, and thus ensure a higherj price. It costs no more either in labour or in planta to produce a good wine than to continue your presene rude method of production. You may double thJ value of your wine by an improved system, without, adding materially to your expenses ; you will there have a large margin for profit, which will increase ini the same ratio as the quality of your wine. " The grower will reply, " W e must have roads for carts if we are to substitute barrels for goat-skins.? So long as the mule-paths are our only routes w l must adhere to the skins, which we acknowledge ari destructive to the quality of the wine and reduce our profits. Give us roads. " This is a first necessity, and it is simply ridiculous to preach reforms of quality to the cultivators so long as the present savage country remains roadless. It is the first duty of the government to open thj

View PDF version of this page