PHILADELPHIA OFFICE.

When our Society was founded in 1900, and the Baron de Hirsch Fund turned over all agricultural activities to us, we found ourselves in charge of the pioneer Jewish colonies in Southern New Jersey-Alliance, Rosenhayn, and Carmel. In line with the policies pursued by our predecessors—the Baron de Hirsch Fund, the Alliance Land Trust, and the Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society-there had grown up in these colonies factories of various kinds. The object of establishing these factories was to provide employment for the Jewish farmers in these colonies, so as to enable them to make a living until they were firmly established on their farms, and to provide work for their children during the winter months, in order to keep them from going to the cities in search of employment. These factories required considerable supervision, and Mr. George Goward was placed in charge as industrial agent, with headquarters in Philadelphia.

The indifferent success of these factories and the gradual growth and development of the farms, slowly but persistently relegated our industrial interests in the colonies to an unimportant position, and the work of our industrial agent was gradually diverted from the industrial to the agricultural field. For some time the functions of our industrial agent have been almost exclusively agricultural, and consisted in the making of investigations of applications for loans in that and nearby territory. At the same time Mr. Goward's office, in which he had conducted an employment bureau for the charities of that city and looked after the immigration affairs of the Baron de Hirsch Fund, gradually grew up and became known as a branch office of our Society. Residents of Philadelphia and vicinity have been coming to that office for advice and information concerning farms and to apply for farm loans, precisely as at our headquarters in New York and our Western office in Chicago. Recognizing these conditions, it has been decided to place Mr. Goward on our regular field staff, to take charge of the field work of our Society in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and contiguous territory, and to continue his office in Philadelphia as heretofore.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

As in 1915, our educational activities this year were somewhat handicapped because of the inadequacy of our staff for the needs of this Department. In 1914, when the European War broke out, we were confronted with a reduced income and uncertainty concerning our future. A general curtailment of activities and drastic retrenchment in every direction became imperative. To conform to these conditions our educational force was reduced. But thanks to the indefatigable work of Mr. Joseph W. Pincus, the editor of The Jewish Farmer, and director of the Department, this work has maintained its high standard of efficiency. Credit is also due to Mr. Israel Kasovich, associate editor, for his efficient assistance.

Our local educational activities in the South Jersey Colonies have continued under the direction of Mr. Louis Mounier, to whose idealism and sense of duty the residents of the Colonies, especially the younger generation, are much indebted.

"THE JEWISH FARMER."

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The Jewish Farmer has maintained its rôle as an important educational factor in the Jewish agricultural movement. dreds of farmers have testified that The Jewish Farmer has been their guide and mentor both spiritually and materially. It has prevented the failure of many a farmer and set many would-be farmers on the right road to success.

Recognizing the educational value and service of this magazine, we have felt for some time that an effort should be made to increase its circulation, and incidentally to make it self-sustaining. This we hope to accomplish during 1917. An effort will be made to increase not only subscriptions. but sales on news stands. The subscription price of The Jewish Farmer will likewise be increased from twenty-five cents to fifty cents a year, or three years for one dollar. Through increased and more stable circulation, it is hoped that increased revenue from advertisements will follow. To this end Mr. Louis Busker has been engaged for the coming year as the business manager of The Jewish Farmer.

FIELD WORK.

It is evident that with our educational staff as now constituted, extensive field work is a physical impossibility. The importance of field or extension work cannot be overestimated. Those who are in the least acquainted with rural conditions consider field work among farmers, in the form of lectures, institutes, and demonstrations, as the only effective means of bringing American agriculture to a tolerable degree of efficiency and establishing it on a business foundation. The United States Department of Agriculture and the Reclamation Service maintain a large field force throughout the country ready to help where help is needed. The State Departments of Agriculture are engaged in similar work. The agricultural colleges and experiment stations come still closer to the farmer and his needs. The Smith-Lever Act has made available considerable funds for this kind of work throughout the country, which funds will increase from year to year until they will reach the yearly amount of at least $9,160,000 by 1923.

The newest of field activities is the County Farm Bureau. Farm Bureau work, which is making tremendous strides throughout the country, is without doubt the most constructive effort yet undertaken in the direction of organizing American farmers. Through our educational department we are making every effort to cooperate with these Bureaus. The Farm Bureau of New London County, Connecticut, and the Farm Bureau of Tolland County, Connecticut, will give special attention to the needs of the Jewish farmers in their respective counties, and will give the Jewish farmers representation on their local boards. Jewish farmers are being urged by us to become members of these Bureaus, with gratifying results. Arrangements are also pending with agricultural colleges to employ field men to look after the interests of non-English speaking farmers in their respective States. Although so far nothing has been done in that direction, the authorities look upon the proposition with

much favor and promise their cooperation. It is hoped that the coming year will see this work materialize.

Plans have also been perfected to make it possible for the Federation of Jewish Farmers to maintain, with our assistance, two field men during the coming year. The importance of this work lies not alone in what these field men will themselves be able to accomplish, but in preparing the Jewish farmers to take advantage of the educational work that is being conducted by other agencies. These activities will be treated in more detail further on in this report under the heading of "Organization Service."

SHORT COURSE SCHOLARSHIPS.

As in former years we continued our system of granting scholarships to children of Jewish farmers in the short winter courses in the agricultural colleges of their respective States. Last year we awarded thirteen scholarships and this year fifteen. It is worthy of note that this year's scholarships were more widely representative of the different sections of the country than in any preceding year. The scholarships awarded this year by States are: five in New York, three each in New Jersey and Connecticut, and one each in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Georgia and California. As Connecticut did not offer short winter courses this year, the Agricultural College of Massachusetts extended us the courtesy of admitting our scholars from Connecticut on the same basis as those from their own commonwealth.

It will bear repeating that these scholarships are a very important educational feature. We are now in a position to state with positiveness that the results have fully fulfilled our expectations and justified our expenditures. The benefit derived from these scholarships by the students themselves and by the communities in which they make their homes, is incalculable.

AGRICULTURAL STUDENTS' LOANS.

We have often called attention to the increasing tendency on the part of Jewish young men to enter the agricultural profession. This is evidenced by the increasing number of Jewish students in the State agricultural colleges. The tendency of the ambitious Jewish boy to enter the professions of law and medicine is too well known. That these professions are much overcrowded is a recognized fact. In the keen struggle for existence, many a young lawyer and physician-Jew and Gentile-starting with a fair standard of morality, has been forced into practices that are, to put it mildly, unethical. The entrance of the Jewish young men into a field in which there is plenty of elbow room and temptations are comparatively few, should be encouraged. We have been keenly interested in the subject and watched the progress, both in and out of college, of the Jewish boys who have decided upon the profession of agriculture as their life's work. Although new in what is virtually a new calling, the records established by some of them are highly encouraging.

The Jewish agricultural movement in this country and elsewhere in fact agriculture in general-has suffered much in the past for the want of leadership. Nevertheless, in spite of this handicap, the movement has grown and continues to grow with rapid strides. Just think of the impetus that hundreds of well educated, well trained, public-spirited young men could give to it. But whether these students will eventually swell the number of Jewish farmers is not very material. It is quite enough that these ambitious young men are diverted from the overcrowded professions and that they find in the agricultural profession a wide and honorable outlet for their energies. Looking at it from every point of view, these young men are deserving of the thoughtful consideration of those interested in education in general and that of the Jewish youth in particular.

This year, we are glad to say, we have adopted by way of experiment, a system of making loans to such students. These loans are secured by the promissory notes of the students,