Vol. XV. No. 371. 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



22& 



CO-OPERATIVE INSURANCE OF LIVE 

 STOCK 



In the Agricultural j^^eivs for October 9, 191o 

 (Vol. XIV, p. 324) appeared an article suggesting that 

 a co-operative agricultural insurance society should be 

 formed in Antigua. In connexion with this, the follow- 

 ing extract relating to co-operative insurance in India 

 and Ceylon, taken from the Tropical Agriculturist 

 for March 1916, will be of interest: — 



In some countries cattle insurance is a compulsory 

 measure and State-aided, or the State assists in the formation 

 of a central organization to which local societies are affiliated. 

 A proportion of the premium received by the local societies 

 goes to the central body, which shares the indemnities in the 

 same proportion. In this way risk is diffused and a large 

 area covered. 



It is desirable that societies should cover only a limited 

 number of villages. 



Very young stock or old cattle should not be accepted 

 for insurance. The age should range from two or three to 

 twelve years. Sickly animals should also be excluded. The 

 cattle should bear the brand mark of the society. 



A member may join the society by paying an entrance 

 fee and afterwards pay the premium. He may insure all his 

 healthy cattle. In admitting cattle the maximum value of 

 the animal should be fixed. Valuation may be checked by a 

 committee appointed for the purpose. This committee 

 may include the Government Veterinary Surgeon or his 

 Assistant and two or more members of the society. Their 

 valuation should be final. As the animal grows, the valuation 

 jnay be checked annuMly orhalf-yearly, and premiums adjusted 

 accordingly. 



The rate of premium may be fixed in accordance with 

 the ri.sks involved. In some countries epizootic diseases are 

 excluded from the risks; but in Ceylon there is likely to be 

 no inducement unless such diseases are included, and this is 

 an important point for consideration. Sufficient care should be 

 taken to exclude areas which are hotbeds of rinderpest, or to 

 begin with, let aparticular class of animals, say, plough and 

 draught cattle, be dealt with. These animals receive more 

 care at the hands of owners than others. 



AVhere ordinary epizootic diseases are included, the 

 premium rate in Burma is 3 per cent, per annum per head, 

 but this is increased to 6 per cent., if rinderpest is included. 

 The whole value of the animal may be paid as compensation, 

 or a certain percentage of the value. No indemnity is paid 

 for an insured animal if that animal dies within a certain 

 period. Generally this period is taken as fifteen days, which 

 is the incubation period. After receiving an indemnity the 

 member must continue to remain so for a certain period. No 

 indenmity is paid to an owner whose cattle are insured, where 

 damage is done by a third party who is liable to pay com- 

 jiensation. When a death occurs , the valuation committee 

 must view the carcase of the animal and give the necessary 

 certificate. When an in.sured animal is .sold to an outsider 

 the member may put in its place another animal, which after 

 the decision of the valuation committee may be registered in 

 the books of the society. No compensation shall be paid 

 •when the damage is due to the neglect of the owner, if such 



neglect is proved at an enquiry held by the committee. The 

 owner .should observe the by-laws of the .society and should 

 take proper care of the animals. He should forthwith report 

 any ailments of the animal to the Secretary who should take 

 proper steps to inform the nearest Government Veterinary 

 Surgeon or his assistant. In this way greater attention is 

 paid to the care of the animals, the dissemination of disease 

 is controlled, and caUle straying reduced to a minimum. 

 The Managing Committee should supervise the work of other 

 Committees, make such sanitary regulations as appear 

 necessary, and see that insured cattle are well looked after by 

 the owners. Any breach of a by-law may lead to the loss of 

 a claim on the society. 



State-aid is to be expected if a satisfactory scheme is put 

 forward. This will ease the hands of the societies on the 

 financial side. 



The Composition of Cassava Roots.— Aa 

 article of some interest, by the Chemist to the Central 

 Experiment Station, Santiago de las Vegas, appears in 

 Modern Cuba for April 1916. This contains a table of 

 analyses of a large number of varieties of cassava grown in 

 different parts of the world. It is stated that the most 

 important constituents of the cassava roots are the carbohy- 

 drates (starch and sugars) and a cyanophoric glucoside, 

 Linamarin. The starch content is shown to vary from as low 

 as 1 1 per cent, in the poorer sorts to 3.5 per cent or more in 

 the best. The hydrocyanic acid content varies considerably 

 both in amount and distribution in the plant. A few years 

 ago it was believed that there are two distinct species of 

 cassava differentiated by their hydrocyanic acid content, and 

 by certain peculiarities in leaf form whence the names 'bitter 

 cassava' and 'sweet cassava'. It is now generally held that 

 the different sorts of cassava are all varieties of one species. 



Figures of analyses in this article show that with the 

 exception of those from .Jamaica, the different authorities give 

 nearly the same figures for the average starch content of 

 cassava roots. The high starch content reported from 

 Jamaica is regarded as indicating that especially favourable 

 conditions prevailed there, or that especially fine strains 

 have been developed. Probably the favourable composition 

 is influenced by both factors. The percentage of ash found in 

 Cuba is lower than that reported from other parts of the 

 world, while that obtained in the Philippines is very much 

 higher. The table makes it clear that the feeding value of 

 cassava roots is governed by the starch content, the protein, 

 and fat content being very low. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial ( 'ommissioner of Agriculture returned' 

 to Barbados on Tuesday, July II, 1916, by the C.R.M.S. 



'Chignecto', after paying an official visit to St. Lucia 

 extending over two weeks. 



By the S. S. 'Guiana', which sailed on July 7, Mr. 

 H. A. Ballou, M.Sc, Entomologist to this Department, 

 departed en route for Egypt, where he has been seconded 

 to the Egyptian (lovernment for one year, for the 

 purpose of advising on entomological matters connected 

 with the production of cotton in Egypt. 



