548 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 



even anxious, to insure immediately, but lie believed that after the 

 cattle disease had died away the proportion of tenant-farmers who 

 would insure their stock would be scarcely one in a hundred, and 

 therefore any great and sudden pressin-e which might come upon any 

 insurance society would probably overwhelm it. The strength of 

 insurance societies lay in the constant support they received, and in 

 the fact that the healthy made up for the unhealthy ; and if farmers 

 insured under a panic, and ceased to insure after it, a society for the 

 insurance of live stock could not prosper. One great obstacle 

 he considered would arise from changes of stock, the animals being 

 changed to such an extent by sales that identification would be a 

 matter of extreme difiiculty. 



It was, however, very important that this subject should be well 

 ventilated, and that the opinions both for and against insiu-ance should 

 be fully stated ; for it was only in that way that a good system could 

 be formed from the different theories that were projiounded. 



Major THOsirsoN observed that identification might be secured by 

 branding the horns. 



The Chairman said there was no proposition before the meeting 

 with respect to the question introduced by Dr. Farr, but he must say 

 that the manner in which that gentleman had treated it showed how 

 deeply and carefully he had studied it. The subject was most difficult, 

 and he for one would not venture to urge the Covmcil of the Royal 

 Agricultural Society to adopt Dr. Farr's plan. It was far from being 

 perfect at present, and would require a great deal more consideration 

 before it would be in a fit state for adoption by the Council. He 

 had, however, great pleasure in proposing a vote of thanks to Dr. Farr 

 for his paper. 



Mr, ToRR, in seconding the resolution, deprecated the notion that 

 the Council in fixing the subject for discussion contemplated any 

 immediate steps with a view to the establishment of a general insurance 

 system, adding that something might possibly be done when the 

 rinderpest was gone. 



The motion having been put and carried — 



Dr. Farr, after returning thanks, reminded the meeting that he had 

 submitted two plans, one of which, if adopted, would have to be carried 

 out by the Government. He concurred in a great deal of what had 

 been said about the difiiculty of carrying out the voluntary principle 

 in relation to insurance. As regarded a compulsory system, whereas 

 Mr. Torr said he would take Is. at first, he (Dr. Farr) would take 2s., 

 and power to come again should more be required. As imder the 

 present system the Government only had the right to order the slaughter 

 of animals, farmers could only look to the Government for compensa- 

 tion. He believed that the power extended only to October next. 



Professor Simonds : Only to August. 



Dr. Farr continued : Of course there would be application for its 

 further extension. If the Government ordered animals affected with 

 rinderpest to be killed, the Government must pay for them ; but if 

 animals died naturally from pleuro-pneumonia or other diseases of 

 similar character, the owners could not expect the rest of the com- 



