The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-28
UNITED STATES in
PICTURE BUSINESS
Department Of Agriculture Hopes to
Urge on Farmers the Necessity
For Modern Methods in
Agriculture.

AhAtsHAtbANt
Washington, Aug. 27.-The United
States department Of Agriculture is
in the moving picture business.
Not that it ojerates, Or contemplates
operating a string Of fyc-cent theatres,
nor syndicate" films whereupon are
depicted everything from slap.stiek com
edies to sobby sentimentalities, nor
hopes 70 give the Great American Farm.
er the uplift IN the drama via the mo-
ton picture route-not by any means.
The Department Is simply entering the
field because foresighted Uncle "Tama
Jim Wilson, Secretary Of Agriculture,
believes Ne can BY its aid bring home
10 the farmers Of the country the ne.
cessity for modern methods in agricul.
It has been hard to make the farm
ers Of the country understand from
mere description how to handle their
crops in this new era Of agriculture.
The average man on the farm doesn't
take kindly to advices he hears or
reads-he wants visional proof Of the
sonndness o. things. He sticks to the
old ways until he actually sees the adj
vantage Of the new
It is for this reason that the Deport-
ment is now adopting the motion pic
tnre machine 70 educate the farmer.
Films win be made At various expert.
ment stations throughout the country,
showing the new order Of things in
the handling of the crop, how TO make
roads, how TO breed cattle, horses,
sheep, and farm animals, and the thous.
and and one tasks th0t occupy farm
ers. by exhibiting these films at popu
lar meetings Of farmers all over the
country, the Department hopes to give
them actual, visual, convincing proof
that the old order changeth, giving
place 10 new, and that the new agri.
eultur means better crops, better farms,
better roads, and better animals.
A cooperative arrangement is now in
formation, whereby the Department viii
send its moving picture taking mochine
to the various experiment stations
throughout the country and there
the operations on these
farms. The films viii be developed at
Washington, and duplicates win be fur
nished to such Of the farmers oreaniza.
tons as desire them, for exhibit at
meetings-the experimental
farms, state institutions, ard other
semi governmental agencies owning the
which reproduce the films.
In this way the Department Of Agri-
culture win soon Be- a sort Of clearing
house Of films on agricultural subjects
a sort OF moving picture syndicate,
which will produce and distribute films
for exhibition among farmers all over
the country. Then too the Farmers
Institutions ~ the several states viii
become subsidiary distributing points
for reels
II i brand nsw idea III the cam
paiqn which the Department has been
waQine for wears 10 educate the farm.
En- Not only that. but it Is a brand
new idea for any government depart
meut TO own a motion picture machine
or loan films Tho Navy Department,
Il Is true, has for some time been max
Ing use Of motion pictures to portray
life aboard ship, in their campaigH for
recruits to the naval service The a.
was that the pictures which
we're taken bv concern principally
known for its production Of popular"
reels would excite the interest Of
young men as truthful portrayal Of /
life on the bounding ocean wave The
pictures were shown in connection with
1 lecture given bv recruiting officer.
That they have been eminentlv cue
eessft1l ID beyond 4 doubt Still, the
Navy Department wasn't actually in
the business Of making the pictures The
Department Of Agriculture Is.