Not very long ago there was much talk in the Russian colony about organizing a Russian farming community. But nothing came of it. Russian immigrants, all born farmers, somehow are unable to leave the stifling cities. Our former farmers are no longer interested in farming, though they know they cannot expect to improve their economic condition in the cities in the immediate future. Those who are unemployed, after using up all their savings, will enter the bread lines.

But, if Russian farmers do not, in this country, engage in farming, there are others who do. A group of Jews from New York, Philadelphia and Detroit, mostly people of education, but with no agricultural background whatsoever, went into co-operative farming. These people, though not farmers, have shown more courage and industry than our Russian people. They have organized 2a farming community in Saginaw County, Michigan, according to the report printed in the Detroit News. As prospective farmers, these Jews acquired the large Pitcairn estate, which had an area of about sixteen square miles. This large tract of fertile land, with necessary buildings, farming implements, and its own power house, has now become the property of this farming community, registered under the name of the Surprise Co-Operative Farming Community.

The community consists of seventy families--in all, two hundred and twenty-five persons, men, women and children. Each man pays five hundred dollars as his share in the project, adding one hundred dollars for his wife and a small amount for each child. This group originally comprised but twenty families, but within the last four months it has grown to seventy families. As can be seen from this account, the colony grows fast, despite the fact that the admission is governed by a set of definite rules and regulations. For instance, only persons in perfect health may become members of this farming community, and only those who understand and favor co-operative community life.

Though the originators of this farming community were predominantly Jews, 3admission is now granted also to non-Jews, and present members of this community represent different nationalities. The management of the community is in the hands of a committee of eleven persons. Mr. I. Grinbaum of Detroit is the chairman, and Joseph D. Cohen, well-known in liberal circles in New York (he seems to have immigrated here from Russia), is secretary.

Work is assigned according to the training and the abilities of various members of the community. Among the colonists are blacksmiths, stonemasons, carpenters, butchers, bakers, shoemakers, teachers, journalists, a physician, etc. This is according to the principle that such a community should be completely self-sufficient and independent of the outside world, and should form an economic whole, capable of satisfying all the human needs of its members. Every member of this community does the work assigned to him, and under proper inspection, in order that the work he contributes may be satisfactorily performed. The colony arises at seven o'clock in the morning, and retires at ten in the evening. The colonists go to their work in the various fields in trucks, and these trucks bring them back when the day's work is done. No member receives any pay for his or her work.

But all share equally in profits from the sale of their products. They all partake of the same meals, served in one common dining hall. The meals are plain, but nourishing and plentiful.

There are over five hundred children in the community. On reaching its third year of life the child is sent to the community house for children, where it receives proper care; later, it receives training under the guidance of properly qualified persons. The community has decided not to have any church or synagogue. The question of religion has been left to the conscience of each individual member. Last year there were one thousand two hundred acres under cultivation, out of the ten thousand acres of the entire estate.

The recent city-dwellers, now co-operative farmers, are highly gratified with their new position, according to the report of a Detroit newspaper correspondent. Unemployment no longer scares them.

The community intends soon to construct a textile factory, and start other industries. The colonists spend their leisure time preparing and presenting 5theatricals, attending meetings, and engaging in sports and in other sensible recreations.