Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/290

244 Agricultural Colonies (Argentine Republic)

TIIE

JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Some of the presi-nt si'ttliTs in Clam wore liroiijjlit llicre durin!.' tlio second exodus of the Jews from IJiissia. in ISill. and were selected Association in 1894.

from refugees thai had arrived in Constantinople. IJut the more important liodyi>f colonists was orjran1S!I4; ten groups, of about forty These were taken <lifamilies each, being formed. rect from the ships in which they arrived to the farms on which they were to settle, where houses, cattle, seeds, iinplenienls. and the food necessary for them between seed-time and liarvcst had already been provich'd. The tirst three groups to arrive were settled in three villages of fifty houses each the next three were established upon a system midway between the village system and that of isolated farms; while some i/.ed in I{us.sia in



Clara

colum—

t_

244

villeand Mauricio. where the maximum distance from niilway stations is about nine miles. In Kntre Rios certain groups are twenty miles or more from the railway. Considerable sums of money are being applied l)y the Jewish Colonization As-sociatiou to the formation of lucerne fields in this Character- pidvince. as the breeding of cattle forms an important jiart of the econistics of omy of the colony. A large steam Hourthe Colonies, mill is in operation, and there are three well-oiganized schools in which

two hundred children receive instruction. The sanitary condition of the settlement is good. At Ceballo.s, in the northern portion of Entre Kios, the Jewish Colonization Association has established a

MAKII.Mi

inLii

Kill .SlHii

(From a pboto^aph.)

of the families of the remaining lished upon isolated farms only.

groups were estab-

The

pojiulation of this colony has been increased by a consid<'ruble immigration, although many of the early si'ltlers, discouraged by reverses and unable to endure the privations of pioneer life, have withdrawn. At first the houses in Entre Rios were built of clay, but they ba<i to be reconstructed, and are now entirely of brick. It was found ditflcult to supply the necessarj- water, as wells had to be bored to a depth of 82 to" 98 feet. At iMoiseville and Mauricio water was found at a depth of 7 to 9 feet. These conditions made the installation of colonists very expensive. The soil of this group of colonies is rich, but compact and heavy, as it has been plowed for only a few years the yield, however, is not so good as might be expected. During 1898 the colonists sowed ee.O.lfl acres, subdivided as follows: wheat, 33,838: lucerne, 4,70."); flax, 27,852: barley, 242: rye, 19. In regard to the transportation of produce to market the colonists of Clara are not so well situated as those of iloise;

cattle-breeding farm of 23.090 acres, which is under the supervision of the council at Buenos Ayres. In Entre Rios the Jewish Colonizal ion Association owns 3H1. 779 acres, of which 19."),.")4."> are colonized. The colony of Clara is composed of 19 villages or

groups, 1899) are

which with enumerated

their populations (January, in the following table:

Statistics of

Villages.

Clara Colony.