Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-08-22
JEW EOYS AS FARMERS.
School for Their Education a SuC

School for Their Education a Sue
Teaching the Jew to be an American
farmer is one Of the unique objects Of al
agricultural manual training school To-
Gated at Doylestown. Pa. near Philadel-
phia. This school, which is known as
the National Farm school, is the only one
of its kind in the United States, and fills
a gap which the agricultural colleges of
the country so far have been unable to
cover. 1t provides a practical training IN
agriculture for ci;y-Dred boys that cor
responds in many respects to an ordinary
literary or scientific course in city high
school.
Although the school is unsectarian and
is open to pupils of all nationalities, its
principal object is the training Of He
brews for practical American husbandry
an industry with which the race has
heretofore had little to do. Agriculture
was the pursuit of the ancient Israelites,
and the abandonment of 1t by the mod
ern 1sraelite is the result of centuries Of
persecution, during which his ancestors
were deprived of the right Of tilling the
soil. and frequently of the right to pos
sess it. The school was founded largely
to the tinle-hOnored calling.
The school operates on the theory that
If boys are scientifically trained and
shown the advantages of farm life over
the struggle for bare existence, to which
the majority Of them are doomed in the
overcrowded cities, society will be bene-
flied just that much. The name and
standing Of the Jew will also be raised
IN America. So, while the school is in
tended primarily for young Jews, it is a
national affair, and is open TO every we'll
qualified lad.
While most of the agricultural colleges
are largely experimental and admit only
those who can show highschool diplo-
ma, the National Farm school admits
those who have passed the grammar
grade of the usual public school course
fully four years earlier than most of
the agricultural colleges. In the agricul-
tural colleges it is also true that most
of the students come originally from the
FARMS and have had practical training
in farm work. The National Farm school
| receives mostly city boys, who know
practically nothing of farm work or
farm life. The training given them is
almost entirely practical The theoreti-
cal side of agriculture is left for the
higher schools if its students wish to go
to them. They are made practical agri-
culturists, and the higher training is less
essential All the science that is taught
is of immediate use.
The school has been Endorsed by some
VI lHt DeSt-hHONH Jews III America. anQ
by some of the most prosperous American
men who are not Jews. Oscar S. Strauss.
former minister to Turkey, and Adolph
s. Ochs. president of the New York
Times company, has expressed the opin-
ion that its results are far reaching The
venerable Rev. DR.. Isaac NJ. Wise presi-
dent of the Hebrew Union college at
Cincinnati. and probably the most learned
American-Hebrew, has called the school
blessing to humanity, and Prof Edwin
r. A. Seligman Of Columbia university
has praised it in equal terms. Others
who have praised its work are Nathan
Strauss, New York: B. Bettman, presi-
dent of the board of governors, Hebrew
Union college; Mrs. Minnie D. Louis.
New York; the Rev. S. H. Freshman,
Philadelphia, and the Rev. Michael Hey
mann, all Of whom are interested in the
social problems that affect the Jewish
race in America.
| School work and hand work go togeth-
er in the course. From September to
June the forenoons are devoted entirely
to school work. The afternoons are Civ
! en- to work in the greenhouse, dairy, and
in industrial labor. From June to Sep
TENDER the entire time is devoted to field
work. The school work teaches especial
ly the sciences that underlie practical ag-
riculture. together with English mathe-
MATES, literature, economics and similar
!