Evening star., 1928-04-22
Agricultural Motion Pictures
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKTN.

Breaking into the movies is no trick
at all for a hog-whether q blue ribbon
winner or sufficiently horrible example
OF cholera--or for forest fire. or nest
of Matching eggs. when the season for
the taking of the pictures released by
| tHe United States Department of Agri-
culture begins.
The scenario writers. camera men and
director in this branch of the Govern
ment are Just as elated at the discovery
of field of a certain kind OF clover in
full bloom. an example OF erosion of the
banks OF an improperly safeguarded
little stream, or the death struggles OF
cattle ticks, as are men holding the
same kind of positions with world
known film companies when they find
eyes which drip tears as well as they
photograph, an athlete with lit. or an
unusual set of whiskers attached by ma
ture to the face 1t adorns. Where the
director with the private concern orders
soft music and waits for the beautiful
eyes to flood, the Government producers
will wait from Summer 70 Spring for
that field of clover TO flower.
Raymond Evans chief of the Motion
Picture Extension Service. tells of tram
continental trips. airplane flights and
the use of neighboring fields and even
the stenographer's best hat in this
business Of making movies which viii
aid and benefit and entertain the resi-
dents of The rural districts. e H
:. A series OF six one-reel films, con-
atribufed by the Bureau or Public Roads
~necessitated a study OF the roaoS IN the
National parks in the West. for. as their
titles indicate, they tell the story of road
building In those places. They are called
Roads In Our National Parks" THE
Men Who Build the Roads" "A Road
Cut Of Rock" Rocky Mountain Park
Roads" New Roads In Rainier" and
"Yosemitcs New Roads"
The success OF the campaign in the
South to control the boil weevil with
the aid Of the airplane is pointed out
in Battling Airplane VS. Kid Bug"
a movie adapted from published story
by Harris Dickson. No tempting sums
were paid for the movie rights Of this
story, nor for the one which the de-
partment is engaged in putting into
scenario form now. Credit Is given
10 the authors, but the cash is let go
by these men who are willing 70 donate
this part of their copyright privileges
TO aid the farmer.
Corn Borer Film Popular.
this last year, those most in demand,
were trilogy inspired by the omni-
presence of the corn borer and need
for its extinction. There are more
than hundred copies Of these three
movies which have been so very popu-
lar, especially in the States OF Indiana
and Ohio. where every effort has been
made to eradicate the enemy Of corn.
The Corn Borer and What To DO
About 1t" tells in two reels the life
history Of the European corn horer
and recommends methods by which
farmers can control the pest. In one
reel. Corn and the Borer." the spread
OF the insect and the methods OF the
Government IN checking 1t are explain
ed. Comedy relief Ia employed in "Old
Jake Wakes Up" one-reel film. when
Old Jake Is the quarry chased by gigan-
tic corn borers. The need OF a Spring
cleanup campaign Is emphasized
From the viewpoint Of the work in
volved In the making. Mr.. Evans says
that the most ambitious picture re-
leased last year was the one with the
nursery rhyme title, This Little Pig
Stayed Home" Not only was the sub
lect of hog cholera, its symptoms and
prevention, scientifically and authorita-
lively handled. but 1t was done In story
form and five human actors were en-
pIoyed.
Edward Kelly. assistant chief In
charge Of production. 70 whom this pic
tnre is credited. outlined the scenario
briefly:
Anticipating the rich rewards from
his prospective pork crop. farmer
dreams OF what he will do, An am
bilious daughter viii be sent TO coli
lege, a deserving wife will be bought
the new things on which she has set
her heart for the house. and the young
son VIII be given saXophone, LONG
hoped for
An itinerant dead-hog buyer surveys
with the farmer his corpuient porkies
petrated--scrapea his boots on the
troughE When the hogs become what
ever corresponds To pale, and fail III
health, their owner IL worried, but not
alarmeds and takes no precautions, and
aWakens one morning TO find them no
longer pigs, but pork, and useless pork
at that. The post mortem shows that
they died of cholera,
Vanished are the dreams Of the de-
voted father and hushandl However.
the county agent takes him In hand
and explains how disease is carried
from place To place by such conyeyors
al the hog buyers boots, shows him
how 10 diSinfect the pens, teaches him
rules OF sanitation aud prescribes for
aiiing hogs.
AiI's Well nj the End.
Instead OF a broadhide of custard pies
the hog buyer Is given spray OF dlsin-
| tectanL during the big cleanup The
following Spring the farmer obtains new
| pigs and IN the Fall by sanitation, im-
asaA al IA fY3
their majority as fat, healthy hogs
The ending OF the picture shows the
realization Of the hopes OF tho begin
ming The daughter IL to go Ia college.
the house h 10 he decorated, and from
the agonized expressions Of the family
II IL apparent that the son already has
been givenF his shiny saN,
During 'FtD2T eighteen new pictures
having 4 negative footage oi lH.D25 leet