Hopes of turning large areas of land in Palestine, now arid, into arable acreage suitable for orange growing and truck farming is seen as a result of the discovery there of new sources of water supply by the application of American methods, according to a cablegram received by the Palestine Economic Corporation. The cablegram reveals that American engineers have successfully bored a well in the Yavniel region where previous attempts, utilizing antiquated methods, had only resulted in an inadequate water supply.
“The well which has been successfully drilled in Yavniel, offers great hopes of turning arid lands into flourishing colonies,” Bernard Flexner, Chairman of the Board, declared. “This site was chosen because wells which had been driven there by antiquated methods, had resulted in a poor supply of water. The water problem in Palestine has long been recognized as a serious one, particularly in the hill lands. The soils of this region are suitable for vineyards, olive groves and grain fields and with irrigation, also for vegetable growing. The first well drilled shows a yield of 440 gallons per minute from a decomposed basalt reservoir at a depth of 170 feet. The successful result of the drilling at Yavniel demonstrates that an adequate water supply can be obtained at a lower cost through improved methods. I believe that large tracts of land now unfit for crops due to the inadequacy of the water supply, may, as a result of the application of the methods employed at Yavniel, be transformed into arable areas.”
The American drilling unit was sent into Palestine by the Palestine Economic Corporation working in conjunction with the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association, after a survey of conditions by F. Julius Fohs, noted geologist, in that country and of methods used in California, had indicated that the latter could be successfully applied in Palestine.
The engineers and machinery will be kept in the Holy Land, Mr. Flexner said, to carry out other projects of the two organizations and will be available for the use of existing colonies and of new colonies to be settled in the future. The Palestine Economic Corporation is an American Organization which has been furthering the economic development of Palestine along sound business lines for many years.
Rabbi Harry E. Schwartz who has recently been called to head the Patchogue Jewish Center, Patchogue, N. Y., was formally installed by Dr. Louis Finkelstein, Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
