Ai'lui. i:{, \'.n\. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



i(: 



THE QUESTION 

 OF INSURANCE 



■ »^- •■■»>• ■■■»!••■■#; 



IT'S VITAL FOR GROWERS. 



Fire Insurance. 



The uunibcr uf inquiries regarding va- 

 rious forms of iiisurauee received by the 

 liEVlEW indicate that an article on this 

 subject Avill be of interest to the trade. 



First, in regard to lire insurance. An 

 interview with VV. A. lilodgett, western 

 manager of the Springlield F. and M. 

 Insurance Co.. of Springliehl, .Mass., 

 brought out the fai-t that most of the 

 leading lire insurance companies now are 

 glad to write insurance on greenhouse 

 buildings at their regidar rates for this 

 class of risk. These rates vary accord- 

 ing to location, construction, tire protec- 

 tion, location of boiler house, arrange- 

 nieut of heating apparatus, precautions 

 taken to prevent lire, etc. 



.Many times a little foresight and plan 

 ning in the proper arrangement of a 

 greenhouse ])lant will eflect a great sav- 

 ing in the insurance rate at practically 

 no additional construction expense. For 

 instance, if the boiler romn is built en- 

 tirely separate from the houses, the rate 

 will be nmcli lower than it will if the 

 boiler room is surrounded by the iiouses. 

 .\gain, if the boiler and main Ihtw pipes 

 are C(nercd with asbestos, the rate will 

 be lowered, and if concrete, stone or 

 brick, infitead of wood, is used for the 

 boiler house walls, a further saving in 

 the insurance rate will be secured. 



In fact, before building a greeniiouse 

 it would be well to take tip such questions 

 with the local insurance agent, who could 

 tell just what should be iloiic tu secure 

 the minimum late. 



(Jf cours<', a grcriihoii^c that enj(jys 

 city fire department prdtcciion will get a 

 lower rate than mie wiiliout that advan 

 tage. although the fact tiial c\cry green 

 house is suppli<'i| with h.i-r for watering 

 purposes, and always (|uickly available in 

 case of lire, is necessarily a help. 



The reason that greenhouse insurance 

 is comparatively recent is because insur- 

 ance men for years looked upon green- 

 iiouses as poorly constructed from the 

 firc! risk ])oint of view, but since modern 

 methods and up-to-date materials are be- 

 ing used, the usual type of present ilay 

 greenhouse is a much improved structure 

 and is able to hold its own as a fire risk 

 with any other typo of building. 



Of course, in e\ery class of liuildings 



gmwing plants i^ constantly <lianging, 

 and that, Iherefmc, there is im di'linite 

 basis on which tu fix rat<'s nr setth 

 looses; secoinl, thai the ciiips grown 

 vary with the seasons and ciiiise([uent ly. 

 c\rn if a i-easonable basis citulii be fouml 

 tur ,-1 certain crop, tlie I'ollowing crop 

 Would, in nine cases mil ot' ten, lia\e n 

 'lifferent, value. 



Taking all ib.' foregoing into cousi<i 

 eralion, it is evident, that llorists will 

 lia\<' to be content with insurance against 

 fire loss on the buildings alone. Of 

 course, there is no (|iiestion but that sucli 

 insurance is a wise j>recaution, and any 

 local agent representing the well known, 

 reliable fire insurtinco companies, should 

 be able to ^,rite such a policy at reason 

 able rates. 



Hail Insurance. 



Ill taking up the matter of hai' ujsiir- 

 aiice. it was found that few of t^ ' s^g 

 iilar glass insurance companies wilj -^— tire 



Establishment of M. M. Miesse Before the Fire of March 29. 



there are some individual cases of old, 

 tumbledown structures, which are abso- 

 lutely refused insurance by the resj)on- 

 silile companies, and naturally the green- 

 houses are no exception. Therefore, if 

 insurance is refused, it is well to inquire 

 \\>v the reason and, if possible, improve 

 the conditions till all the (dijectioiis are 

 overcome. 



Mr. Hlodgett further state.! rhat. so 

 far as he knew, none of the reliable com 

 panics will accept insurance on stock in 

 the greenhouses, and he gave the follow 

 ing reasons: I'irst, that the value of 



greenhouse's against loss from breakage 

 of glass, either from hail or oth(.'r causes. 

 .Nearly all of them seem to bo of the 

 opinion that the percentage of loss from 

 such risks is so high that in order to 

 write such policies with profit the rate 

 would be away beyoiul the reach of the 

 great m.ajority of llorists. 



This view (d' the matter would seem 

 to indicate a siirjirisiiig lack of investiga 

 I loll by the glass insurance comnanios, be 

 i-aiisi\ as is well known to practically 

 e\eiy greenhouse owner, the Florists' 

 liail .XssociatioM of America insures 



Establishment of M. M. Miesse, Destroyed by Fire March 2% 1911, 



