The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-26
EXPERIMENTS AND DISCOVERIES
IN HOLY LAND HAVE VALUE
HERE.
SAME SOIL CONDITIONS
o, r.. COOK URGES PRACTICAL FARM
TRAINING--AGRICU
SCHOOLS DRAW AWAY
FROM THE FARMS

The agricultural possibilities OF
Palestine, and especially its poten-
tfaiities as a source of enrichment OF
agricultural knowledge and agricul-
tural development ir this country. are
pointed out in an article on Jewish
colonization In Palestine, written by
o. +. Cook. Of the bureau Of plant in
dustry at Washington, for the Popu-
lar Science Monthly.
After telling about the work of
Aaron Aaronsohn. the youns director
of the United States agricultural sta
ton, at Haita, who discovered so
called wild wheat" which will grow
on arid soils where present day wheat
could not thrive, Mr. Cook says:
Even among those who have urged
the colonization Of Palentnc for rea-
sons of philanthropy and national pa
triotism. there has been rather tardy
scientific exploration and invesuga-
ton of agricultural resources.
work of Jews.
II remained for American Jews who
have relatively little interest In the
colonization idea to undertake the in
vestigation OF the country from the
broader motive of human welfare and
as a means of securing for American
agriculture the advantages of a
better knowledge of the agricultural
many of our American crops have come
There is special reason why this
agricultural knowledge IS likely to be
much more valuable in the United
states than in Europe, for we have in
our Pacific Coast and Southwestern
states enormous agricultural resources
still undeveloped under natural condi-
tons that are much more Asiatic than
European. In other words. we have
a1l~ 70. Ant 10 at he "a.
mainder OF the agricultural plants aud
agricultural knowledge that were not
carried TO Northern Europe because the
European conditions were unfavorable.
Thus the establishment of colonies in
Palestine by European Jews has had
the entirely unexpected result of OPEN
ing the country to agricultural eN
ploration in the interest of American
agriculture,
THE tendency has been to think Of
/ Palestine as refuge for the oppressed
rather than as an opportunity for de-
Teloping Il new agricultural cIyiliZa-
ton. But If the colonization movement
continues II must be only n question Of
{time when the traditional idealism Of
the people will assert Itself In agricul-
tural lines, as it has In, so many other
T0Tms OF human ACTIVITY The ancient
Hebrews of the Exodus spent forty
4 y
were ready TO adopt an agricultural
( existence, and It ts q new generation
nurtured I'm the wilderness of modern
1 Palestine, who now appreciate the need
/ Of more effective conquest Of the art
( Of agriculture.
| Rich Possibilities.
TN spite of-all that has been said OF
! the devastation of Palestine" con-
/ tinues Mr.. Cook. "the country has rich
/ possibilities of agricultural develop
ment. The prevailing notion that the
! Promised Land is now a hopeless
desert rests largely on the impress
! sions of travellers who conhne them
selves to the regular tourists route
! from Jaffa up to Jerusalem, and then
down to Jericho and the Dead Sea.
! The districts visited on such trip
/ give about as correct an idea Of the
country as might be obtained If =
Visitor TO this country were to land
at Los Angeles or San Diego. and
/ then travel over the mountains tn
1 indio and the Salton Sea Even the
most recent account of Palestine writ
ten by professional geographer
shows very inadequate appreciation
OF the factors that determine the
/ agricultural possibilities of the coun-
try.
The leaders among the colonists
are no longer resting their hopes for