312 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE LAWS OP THE STATE PASSED EST 1878 FOK THE EEGIT 

 LATION OE THE TKABE EST COMMEECIAL FERTILIZEES. 



' [Chap. 258.] 



Be it. enacted % the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court 

 assembled, and hy the authority of the same, as follows : — 



Section 1. Every lot or parcel of commercial fertilizer sold, offered, 

 or exposed for sale, within this Commonwealth, shall be accompanied by 

 a printed label which shall state clearly the composition of the same, as 

 follows ; to wit : In the case of all fertilizers which are sold at more than 

 twelve dollars per ton, and which contain nitrogen, potassium, or phosphorus, 

 the said label shall give the percentage of anhydrous potassium oxide, or its 

 equivalent of potassium, and of phosphoric oxide or anhydrous phosphoric 

 acid, in any form or combination soluble in distilled water, and the percent- 

 age of nitrogen in the fertilizer which it accompanies. In the case of those 

 fertilizers ivhich consist of other and cheaper materials, the said label shall 

 give a correct general statement of the composition and ingredients of the 

 fertilizer ii accompanies. 



Sect. 2. Every manufacturer or importer of commercial fertilizers as 

 specified in Sect. 1, before offering the same for sale in the Common- 

 wealth, shall procure a license as a manufacturer or importer of the same, 

 and shall pay into the treasury of the Commonwealth the sum of fifty 

 dollars annually as a license fee ; and shall at the same time file with the 

 secretary of the State Board of Agriculture a paper giving the names of 

 his principal agents and also the name and composition of the fertilizer 

 or fertilizers manufactured or imported by him. Such license shall entitle 

 the person to whom it is issued to sell and offer for sale only one distinct kind 

 of fertilizer ; but such person shall be entitled to sell any other kind of fertilizer 

 upon the payment into the treasury of the Commonwealth an additional license- 

 fee of fifteen dollars for each such additional kind. 



Sect. 3. Any person selling, offering, or exposing for sale any commer- 

 cial fertilizer without the statement required by the first section of this act, or 

 loith a label stating that said fertilizer contains a larger percentage of any one 

 or more of the constituents mentioned in said section than is contained therein, 

 or respecting the sale of tohich all the provisions of Sect. 2 have not been fully 

 complied tvith, shall forfeit fifty dollars for the first offence and a hundred 

 dollars for each subsequent offence. 



Sect. 4. The chemist of the State Board of Agriculture shall be ex 

 officio a member of said Board, and State Inspector of Fertilizers. It shall 

 be the duty of said inspector annually to analyze one or more specimens 

 of every kind of coimnercial fertilizer coming within the provisions of 

 this act which may be offered for sale within this Commonwealth, and 

 of the' existence of which he shall be informed by the secretary of the 

 Board of Agriculture ; and for this purpose he is authorized and directed 

 to take from any package or packages of said fertilizers which may be in 

 the possession of any dealer a sample not exceeding one pound in weight. 

 He shall report annually to the State Board of Agriculture the result oi 



