JEWISH COLONIES IN PALESTINE.

Waikato Argus, Volume III, Issue 211, 18 November 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

JEWISH COLONIES IN PALESTINE.

A RECEKT United States Consular report describes the prospects of the Jewish colonies in the Holy Land as encouraging. The settlement of Russian and Rumanian Jewish exiles founded in the last decade wete at first confined to Samaria, Galilee. They had many difficulties to encounter, like most new enterprises. The colonists were formerly trades artisans, and were inexperienced in their new occupation and had no one to advise them. There were errors in selecting and cultivating the soil, and there was despondency in consequence. Charitable gifts from outside improved the position, and now 22 villages, with an area of about 92,000 acres, have been established and are, flourishing. The agricultural school, Mikweh-Israel, with an area of 593 acres, serves as an experimental station and model farm, and governs the colonies. The net earnings of this school are already enough to support as the teachers well ao 100 pupils The largest settlement is the village called Sicluon-Je'akob, which has an area of 1,942 acres, I,ooo' inhabitants, uaved streets, a school in charge of fivo teachers, ft 8/nagogue, a physician, and a pharmacy. The colonists cultivate chiefly vegetables and wine grapes, as well as fruit trees and bees. They are also planting mulberries with a view of silk-worm culture in the fufcuro. The village of Riechol TZion, with an area of 22,239 acre;, possesses already a million-and-a-half vine stocks (which have produced about 210,000 gallons of wine), 20,000 mulberry trees. 10,000 fruit, almond, walnut, and iig trees. Each colonist possesses a stone house, with a flower and vegetable garden adjoining, a horse and wagon, a cow, and various domestic fowls. In the other villages the conditions are similar. At Gadrah, a settlement of former Russian Students, a distillery for the manufacture of brandy is alroady hi operation.