1904.] Insurance of Agricultural Produce. 



565 



In addition to the expenditure shown above on agricultural 

 and veterinary education, an item of £7,000 is included in the 

 expenditure on the State forests for the forestry schools at 

 Nancy and Barres. 



There are- certain receipts from the educational institutions 

 for fees, sale of produce, &c, which amounted in 1902 to 

 £3 0 ,56o, while the receipts from the breeding establishments 

 came to £64,783, and the forest revenue to £1,406,320, 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries think it desirable to 

 direct the attention of farmers to the importance of ascertain- 

 ing whether the property insured by them 



Insurance of against loss by fire includes or excludes 

 Agricultural Pro- T 



duee against growing crops. In a recent case of the 



Fire. destruction by fire of hay and straw in the 



stack, it was claimed by the company, and 

 decided in their favour, that the insurance included growing 

 crops, and that, consequently, under the operation of the " aver- 

 age clause," it was necessary, in order to obtain payment to the 

 full value insured, that these crops, together with the whole of 

 the other produce, should have been insured to at least three- 

 fourths of their value. 



The " average clause," which is now adopted by the fire 

 offices generally as a condition in farming insurances, is to the 

 effect that if the sum insured on agricultural produce, either 

 separately or in one amount with other property, shall, at the 

 breaking out of a fire, be less than three-fourths of the value of 

 all the property insured in that amount, then the insured shall 

 be considered as being his own insurer for the difference between 

 the sum insured and the full value of the property insured at 

 the time of the fire, and shall bear a rateable share of the loss 

 accordingly. The effect of this condition would seem to be that 

 if the value, immediately after harvest, of the agricultural pro- 

 duce, implements and utensils of husbandry, exclusive of live- 

 stock, over the entire farm (including growing crops, if included 

 in the insurance) was £600, and the sum insured only £300, 

 then, in the event of fire, the office will be liable to pay only 



