1 90S.] 



Insurance of Live Stock. 



37 



value is paid for. The requisite money is collected by levy- 

 ing a fixed premium per month and per pig, and amounts 

 to from 3s. to 4s. 2d. a year for each animal. A higher 

 premium is levied in some instances for breeding sows. 



Belgium. 



Societies for the mutual insurance of live stock are common 

 in the rural districts of Belgium. At the end of the year 1906 

 there were, according to the Bulletin de V Administration de 

 V Agriculture (1908, No. 2), 981 cattle societies, representing 

 88,723 members and 257,815 head of cattle. This is rather less 

 than three head of cattle to each member, and here, as else- 

 where, these societies find their chief support among the smaller 

 agriculturists. There were also societies for the insurance of 

 farm horses, goats, and pigs. 



The following table gives particulars of the extent of the 

 operations of these societies in 1906 : — 





No. of 

 Societies. 



No. of 

 Members. 



No. of 

 Animals 

 Insured. 



Average 

 Value. 



No. of 

 Animals Lost 

 in 1905, 











£ s. 





Cattle 



981 



88,723 



257,815 



13 12 



6,498 



Farm horses 



170 



20,441 



38,266 



34 0 



1,037 



Stallions ... 



6 



541 



7H 



136 0 



18 



Goats 



232 



23,232 



35,184 



0 17 



2,358 



Pigs 



42 



4,109 



9,698 



3 12 



376 



It will be seen that the mortality, in the case both of cattle 

 and farm horses, was under 3 per cent. 



Compensation. — In the case of cattle the usual compensation 

 allowed to members for the loss of an animal is two-thirds of its 

 value, and this is paid out of the funds of the society to which 

 all the members make periodical contributions. Another 

 method adopted by some societies is to pay compensation out 

 of the common fund only when the animal is declared unfit 

 for food ; but if the meat is suitable for human consumption 

 it must be purchased by members of the society, each con- 

 tributing to the price a sum proportionate to the number of 

 animals he has insured in the society. In some societies there 

 is no common fund, so that the compensation is raised by direct 

 contributions from the members in every case. 



