THE MoN'TIII.V HI ILLETIN. 



423 



trees growing thriftily, but these as well as cared-for orchards were all badly infested 



with San Jose scale. These trees havi vex l><>en sprayed and yet today are all free 



from scale and bear good clean fruit. 



Bartlett pears are leading in acreage, with shipping plums next. The Bartlett is 

 the favorite and most remunerative of all fruits grown in this county. Apples grown 

 at altitudes of from 2,000 to 3,500 feet are simply grand both in flavor and keeping 

 qualities. 



MOVING PICTURES IN HORTICULTURAL WORK. 



By Fred P. Rod.li.ard, County Horticultural Commissioner, Fresno, Cal. 



It is impossible to predict what the motion picture will achieve iu value to the 

 horticulturist in the near future. 



While performing the duties of county horticultural commissioner one often comes 



in contact with situations, which, if applied to the 

 screen, would be of a tremendous educational value 

 for growers or students of horticulture. The horti- 

 cultural field into which the movie man may enter 

 is large and its possibilities are shown by the sample 

 pictures given in this article. Not only life histories 

 of insects, but the methods of their control cau be 

 demonstrated. Methods of cultivation, pruning, gen- 

 eral care of orchards and vineyards also can be 

 illustrated by experts in comprehensive animated 

 pictures. Such pictures bring lasting impressions 

 and serve a distinct educational purpose. 



Anyone who has tried photography of minute 

 insects, or microphotography, can realize the difficul- 

 ties that a camera man encounters in photographing 

 an object, to picture it at its best advantage, in which 

 light, magnification, contrast with accompanying 

 objects or scenic background and depth of picture 

 and foreground must be duly considered. These diffi- 

 culties are by no means solved when it comes to 

 taking a moving picture. The cost of doing this kind of work is high. Not only 

 the apparatus but the material is expensive, so it hardly justifies anyone but an 

 experienced person to take pictures of this kind. 



• Maude C. Laval of Fresno came into my office over a year and a half ago, stating 

 to me that he was interested in the taking of motion pictures of beneficial and 

 injurious insects of California, with the idea of making the films as complete as 

 possible and with descriptions of the subjects treated. Realizing the great advantage 

 that this kind of work offered, I gladly offered my assistance and helped with others 

 to direct his efforts, as Mr. Laval is neither entomologist nor horticulturist. As a 

 result I am able to say that the work has been more than gratifying. Films have 

 been obtained far beyond sanguine expectations. Some of these films have been 

 shown in our local theaters before audiences of invited horticulturists and all have 

 expressed a delight in the method of treating the subject and its impressive compre- 

 hensiveness. 



Not only is the art of taking motion pictures of insects interesting from a 

 photographer's point of view, but the study of their life histories can be brought out 

 in more detail and many unfamiliar and very interesting points of an insect's life 

 may be exemplified. For instance, the time of day when the molting of the grape 

 leaf hopper most frequently occurs is early in the morning between six and seven 

 o'clock. This fact was very forcibly brought to the notice of the photographer and 

 was of interest to the entomologist because after that time it was difficult to find a 

 hopper molting. 



No doubt the motion picture will eventually become a highly important factor in 

 treating horticultural and entomological subjects as its possibilities are being rec- 

 ognized more and more by those connected with the work. 



2 88B6G 



