International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1931)

877 ~ agricultural labour. The success of such a film also depends on the text of the accompanying lecture. Excellent films for the improvement and increase of agricultural production have been made by the big artificial manure films, such as the « J. G. Farben-Industrie, Kalksyndakate », etc. These films, although propaganda films, are very well done from the scientific point of view. The film is also useful for illustrating the raising of livestock. Many cattle breeding societies have made propaganda and instruction films. The illustration of the various phases of plant pathology may contribute to their study. I add a list of some films which have been produced : i) Film illustrating sheep breeding in the province of Saxony. 2) Film illustrating sheep breeding in the province of Silesia. 3) Film illustrating sheep breeding in the province of Brandenburg. 4) Film illustrating horse breeding in the province of East Prussia (Koenigsberg). 5) Film illustrating horse breeding in the province of Saxony. 6) Agriculture in Saxony. Professor Otto Appell, Director of the « Biological Reichanstalt fiir Land und Forstwirtschaft » writes : There is great scope for the use of the film in the work with which the « Biologische Reichsanstalt » has been entrusted, with reference to the increase of agriculture, the biological examination of cultural plants and the surroundings in which they live. It is more especially an important instrument in the examination of diseases and harmful insects, and for the illustration of the importance of the protection of plants and the best methods of ensuring it. If, in spite of this fact, it has not been possible to make wider use of the film, this is due to the limited means at our disposal First of all there is a lack of means for film production. The public offices responsible for agriculture, and the technical and scientific agricultural institutes have no means at their disposal for the propaganda of educational films, and there is no capital available, to appease the economic crisis from which the country is suffering. Attempts to interest industrial concerns have had little success because the individual films are necessarily interested in the propaganda of certain products. Besides, it would not be sufficient to have merely educational film material, but there should also be greater possibilities of film projection. Most of the institutes have no projecting apparatus, and are obliged to resort to public theatres. Technical and scientific films, however, only interest professional circles and as the theatres cannot ignore the public's taste, the films illustrating the activities of the « Biologische Reichsanstalt » and also the other institutes of the kind have been forced to make use, as before, of the fixed instead of the moving picture, which latter is more efficacious both for instruction and for the completion of public lectures. The film is very useful as an aid in the research of the best methods of perfecting agricultural production. In many cases it is absolutely indispensable. For instance, only the film was capable of spreading the knowledge of the work done by the « Biologische Reichsanstalt » for the combatting of harmful insects by means of the aeroplane. The analysis in individual pictures made it possible to appraise the defects and strong points in the construction of the aeroplanes. It is beyond doubt that the film will offer many possibilities for the perfecting of research in plant pathology. In this connection the accelerator will be of primary importance. Dr. Herrmann Zillig of the « Biologische Reichsanstalt » at Berncastel Cuer (Mosel) writes : There is no doubt that the film is a