This black and white early 1940’s sponsored film produced by Detroit Michigan’s Jam Handy Organization for Bayer-Semesan uses the character of a gregarious, magically-appearing salesman from a bygone era to evaluate modern changes to the profession of agricultural fungicide salesmanship (TRT 18:40).

Opening Titles: “Bayer-Semesan Company Incorporated Presents” and “The Modern Way” (0:07). Title scroll: “…We take off our hats to those dashing knights of the sample case…” (0:30). A magazine article, “Then and Now” depicts a traveling salesman in 1890’s dress, smoking a cigar. Pull back to reveal a man reading the article in an office. With a dissolve effect, the salesman from the magazine appears in the office before him and offers a cigar (1:04). The 1890’s salesman introduces himself with back-slapping, pinstriped bravado (1:46). Montage: An elderly woman inspects packaged baked goods in a grocery store, a chemist in a laboratory, machinery in an auto assembly plant, a Boeing 314 Clipper flying for Pan Am (2:44). The 1890’s salesman produces a thick catalog and comes on a little too strong with his pitch (3:16). The modern salesman approaches a skeptical shopkeeper who stands in front of a shelf of Duco auto lacquer (4:16). A montage of labels for DuBay brand Ceresan (ethylmercury phosphate), Semesan, and Nu-Green fungicides and disinfectant products intended for various crops or grasses (5:17). The 1890’s salesman balks at the idea of rehearsing his pitch (5:33). A catalog of Ceresan products promises better grain yields (6:19). A montage depicts diseased crops in closeup: Stinking smut of wheat, barley stripe disease, sorghum smut, seedling blight, anthracnose on cotton, angular leaf spots, the damping off of young cotton seedlings, rhizoctonia and potato scabs, black rot, stem rot of sweet potatoes, diplodia on corn, flowers with hard rot (6:27). Blighted crops blow in harsh wind (7:06). Stalks of spoiled wheat (7:14). Time-lapse photography shows seedlings in germination. Comparisons show greater yields from crops treated with fungicides (7:23). The modern salesman pitches the shopkeeper (7:55). Chemists wear smocks in a chemical manufacturer’s laboratory. Farmers sample crops (8:27). An advertisement for Bayer-Semesan seed disinfectants (8:50). The shopkeeper objects, but the salesman is ready with plans for building a rotary seed treater (8:58). A farmer uses a seed treater. Dissolve to the plans, which use a 50 gallon oil drum (9:15). A more sophisticated seed cleaner (9:29). A grower washes potatoes in a bucket of water and chemicals (9:42). Intercutting between the two sales conversations continues in medium shots (9:55). An illustrated book on agricultural techniques is laid open. A mention of Ceresan is underlined. USDA pamphlets on grain treatment (11:30). A map of the United States. Individual states begin strobing, one by one, until all are flashing except Nevada (11:58). Agricultural journals: Country Life, The Missouri Ruralist, etc. Ads for DuBay products: “Don’t take smut losses!” (13:04). A radio announcer speaks into a microphone, reading from a script (13:31). More magazines in closeup. A young man pins a Michigan 4-H Foundation badge on his lapel (13:59). A teacher at a blackboard, which reads: “Seed Treatment Pays.” A salesman shakes the hand of a farmer in baggy clothes (14:13). A two-door truck stenciled for “DuBay Seed Disinfectants” drives through a snowy rural Michigan landscape (14:18). A smiling female box office attendant sells a salesman a ticket for a Detroit movie theater (14:29). Title cards for other Jam Handy agricultural short subject films: “Feeding the Multitude, Tall Corn, Peruvian Gold, Black Scourge, Seeds of Prosperity (14:33). Closeup on a postcard addressed to “Grand Theater, Centertown,” requesting booking of “the new one-reel 35mm all-talking film, Black Scourge” (14:48). A storefront window display of cans of Semesan (15:00). An interior shop display advertises Semesan pamphlets for a quarter. A National brand cash register rings up a sale (15:14). The shopkeeper hands out cans of Semesan to farmers as the cash register rings (16:15). The salesman takes notes. Dissolve to healthy crops (17:52). The salesmen shake hands (18:13). “The End” and the DuBay logo (18:24).

The Bayer-Semesan Company was founded on February 26, 1928 and organized jointly by Du Pont and the Winthrop Chemical Company. Its industry was seed disinfectants. In 1946 it was consolidated into Du Pont’s Grasselli Chemical division.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com