280 ANNUAL REPORT OF THB Off. Doc. 



Seetion 1). This act shall take effect September one, eighteen hun- 

 dred ninety-seven. 



A BILL. ENTITLED AN ACT TO REGULATE TDE SALE OF AGRICUL- 

 TURAL SEEDS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, PROVIDE FOR THEIR 

 INSPECTION, AND TO APPROPRIATE A SUM OF MONEY THEREFOR. 



Section 1. lie it enacted by the (ieneial Assembly of Maryland 

 that every lot of (he seeds ol' agricultural plants of one pound or 

 more, whether in bulk or in package, and including the seeds of 

 cereals, grasses, clovers and other forage plants, but not including 

 the seeds of vegetables, flowers, trees, and ornamental shrubs, which 

 are sold or offered for sale in the State of Maryland, for seed pur- 

 poses, shall be accompanied by a written or printed statement of 

 the percentage of purity (freedom from foreign matter), the per- 

 centage of germinable seed, and a statement as to the presence or 

 absence of the seeds of dodder (Cuscuta), Canada thistle, (Carduus 

 arvensis), and the bulblets of wild onions (Allium vineale). 



Section 2. Be it enacted that all packages of seeds of any kind, 

 sold for seed purposes, and in packages of less than one pound 

 and all vegetable seeds in packages of one pound or more, shall 

 be plainly marked with the year in which they were placed on the 

 market. 



Section 3. And be it enacted that the Maryland Agricultural Col- 

 lege is hereby authorized and directed to receive from any resident 

 of the State of Maryland, not a dealer in seeds, samples of seeds as 

 above specified, purchased by him for actual use, together with the 

 dealer's statement accompanying the same, and to nuike tests of such 

 samples; and the Maryland Agricultural College, or its duly author- 

 ized agent, is hereby authorized to prescribe the rules and regu- 

 lations under which these samples shall be received and tested. 



Section 4. And be it enacted that if the official test of any sample 

 falls more than two per cent, in purit}', or ten per cent, in germina- 

 tion below that indicated in the dealer's statement, the dealer shall 

 either take back the seed and refund the purchase price, paying all 

 charges, or shall refund a [)ro rata amount of the purchase price, 

 as the buyer nuiy elect, but no claim against the dealer shall be 

 valid if presented after the seed is planted, or more than two months 

 after the sale of the seed. 



Section 5. And be it enacted that the Maryland Agricultural Col- 

 lege or its representatives, is hereby authonzed to secure for test, 

 by purchase at the market price, if necessary, samples of any lot or 

 lots of seed, as described in section one, sold or offered for sale 

 in the State of Maryland, together with the dealers' written or 

 printed statements concerning the quality of such seeds, and to pub- 



