The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-10-05

VI CtlCIlls
The Hartford Fire Ins. Co. has been
conducting an experiment of taking
hail risks on growing tobacco in Wis
consin for the past three years, assum-
ing that a three year period ought to
give an average liability should the
business become permanent. The re-
suits so far obtained, however, show
that the business is not profitable, for
during the three years, 1915 to 1917 in
elusive, the Hartford company has paid
in losses for hail damage to Wisconsin
farmers S137, 1866. Were the COM
pany to obtain the necessary premiums
on the acreage insured to meet the
losses it should have been paid pre-
miums of S7.23 an acre, or in other
words, for every $1.00 secured in pre-
miums the company has paid losses of
$1.44 in Wisconsin. The results secur-
ed in other states where hail insurance
was carried, we are informed, are be-
lieved unfavorable, especially in the
Connecticut Valley where agents have
already been notified that the COM
panies have retired from the hail in
surance field. This company has paid
it's losses promptly and it's adjustments
have been fairly made in all instances.
1t is abundantly able, of course, to
stand its losses but whether it will con-
tinue with hail insurance in the future
is question to be decided later. To-
bacco growers could hardly expect to
obtain the insurance at the present
premium rate and it is for the Wiscon-
sin farmers to say whether they would
desire their indemnity at increased
cost. The Wisconsin hail insurance
business has been handled the past
three years by Henry Johnson's agency
at Edgerton, which has used every en-
deavor to secure prompt and equitable
adjustments of all losses. The expert
ment has proven that hail insurance on
tobacco is an extraordinary hazard at
best and one the insurance world has
much to learn about.
-
One of the most interesting displays
at the Lancaster County fair is that of
Pennsylvania State College in connec-
Gion with the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, the exhibit being
in charge of Otto Olson, the govern
ment expert who conducts the expert
mental plots at Ephrata, Pa. In the
display is some frost damaged tobacco.
The use of fertilizer and the non-use
are contrasted in the plants shown,
while pictures depict the different
phases of tobacco experiment work.
Experiments are now being made by
Mr.. Olson on hybrid Slaughter-Taylor
variety and when the strain has been
fixed it is intended to distribute the
seed among the growers. This strain
yields about 500 pounds more to the
acre than Slaughter tobacco, or about
$500 pounds to the acre under favorable
conditions. In addition to this work
experiments are being conducted to
produce plants with high nicotine
content and others with low percent
age of nicotine. One strain has been
evolved in which the percentage of
nicotine is FIVE. This will be grown for
insecticide purposes. One of the
Slaughter strains has had the nicotine
content reduced TO /. Sc per cent. This
will be used in mild cigars. The latter
experiment has been under way four
years and will be continued until the
nicotine has been reduced to one per
cent, as to continue it further would
be inadvisable as the the tobacco would
be caseless without some nicotine. The