eve, similar to the above, but with smaller
holes for sifting fine seeds, dust, etc. Mostly made of skin, but now
tin is being used.

_Patourin._--A similar sieve, used for still finer work.

_Skala._--An iron dibber, fitted with two wooden handles, used for
planting vine cuttings.

Some advance has been made of late in cleaning the land, but foul land
is pretty general. Squills, thistles, thorny bushes, and so forth
abound; these are mostly deeply rooted, drought-resistant plants, and
the labour required for uprooting them is not forthcoming.

There are a fair number of reaping machines now in use, but little care
is bestowed on them, and when slightly out of order they are often put
aside as useless. More enlightened ideas are now prevailing, and the
abundant crops of the last few years have created a strong desire for
more reapers and also for threshing machines, of which there are at
present barely half a dozen in the Island.

_The Agricultural Department_

The Agricultural Department was established on a small scale in 1896,
under the direction of Mr. P. Gennadius. It continued much on its
original lines until 1912, when its establishment was enlarged, and the
Government Farm and the Veterinary Branch were attached to the
Department, and again in 1914 it underwent a further slight extension
which was necessarily checked by the war. There is now a staff of
inspectors, district overseers and agricultural demonstrators who are
occupied in continually travelling in the country, advising and giving
practical assistance to cultivators, lecturing on village wine-making,
poultry-keeping, bee-keeping, on the action to be taken against various
pests and so forth.

There are some eight Government Nursery Gardens in the districts from
which large numbers of trees, plants and seeds are issued. A system of
Model Orchards and Vineyards, newly started, is giving satisfactory
results. These are intended to assist those engaged in the production of
fruit and vegetables, for which an unlimited market is close at hand in
Egypt.

Seventy School Gardens are in existence throughout the Island under the
guidance and control of the Department. By their means many young fruit
trees and other plants and seeds are annually distributed at low rates,
better methods of cultivation and new kinds of vegetable and fodder
plants are being made known, and the village boys are being taught
something about the work on which they will later