The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-06

Bridgeport, is one of the best inform ed men in the State on the progress of agriculture as conducted there. by Jews;-. He expressed the opinion that Mr. BigeloW had studied the farms of Connecticut through the railroad car windows.
 "I have just finished tour of ac- tual observation among the farmers af the State, said Mir. Shapiro yester- day T qid iiet attempt to survey the situation at a distance, but went out among the farms, talked with the farmers and ascertained at first hand the conditions that exist. Connecticut owes debt of gratitude to the Jew isR ffrmers, who have taken hold of the abandoned farms of the State and by energy, enterprise and persistence are making the rocky soil produce valuable crops.''
 MT. Shapiro is a recognized expert On immigration problems, and IS one ef the lecturers on the staff of the New York Board of Education. Las, as, evening he 1ectured at Public ~Schooi lJe.t tf12, Manhattan, on ''The Lan0 or Promise He told for the benefit of the newly arrived immigrants and sweatshop workers the golden promise held out by the market farms of Con- heeticut, New York, Pennsylvanla aid New Jersey, and the fertile fields of the West.
 ; ..Connecticut is indeed a. land of promise t6 Jewish immigrants through the healthy, happy. independent life of the farm said he. Today there is not a branch of agriculture in the State. from bee raising to topacco culture, that has not it's prominent Jewish opponents.
 aAs q rule. the Jewish farmers live in small groups There are such groups at Stepney, Botsford, East Lyme, Colchester and many other places. In Colchester the strength or the Jewish farmer vote was snown a year ago when they elected one or their number-Harry Elgart-to the State Legislature.
 CTS in proportion to it's size than any other State in the Union. Sixteen Of the students at the Connecticut Agr1- cultural College are Jewish, ana or these nine took prizes at the last commencement. Several of the recog- f1ized experts in various branches or agriculture are Jews, and the editor of the only Jewish agricultural paper received his training on a Connectl- cut farm.
 "so successful have these tillers of abandoned farms been in Connecticut that they are now planning the es- tablishment of market places. one or the first is to be In Brlogeporl anu ', will be a clearing house through Wnlcn the Jewish farmers may ship tnelr Connecticut produce to New York as well as a market for local dlstr1pu- ton.
 ..In every way-through our Imml- grafton societies, the B'nai Brith, the American Civic League for Imml- grants. the local lecturers and by in- diyidual effort-we are trying to in duce the immigrants to take to the farm as their best means or useIul- ness and happiness and we are try ing to show to the miserable and un- happy sweat shop workers that the same salvation lies before them
 Mir Shapiro said that for reasons such as he had given the city saw the anomaly of a convention so,3 Of :. Jewe tna ish farmers being held in hall III the beart of the east side and that through the activities of those who were interested in the advancement and happiness of their race that many Tews had found Connecticut a pleas ant land in which to dwell.