novelties and responsibilities. 79 



Seedsmen's Responsibilities. 



A review of the seed catalogues, price lists and pub- 

 lications of American, English, French and German 

 seed merchants and seed farmers, will reveal the fact 

 that they all disclaim responsibility for the consequences 

 of planting seed obtained from them. They emphatic- 

 ally declare they cannot, and will not, be held responsi- 

 ble for the varying results of seed sold by them and 

 planted by tliQir customers, consequent upon influences 

 of soil, rainfall, drouth, periods of sowing, inexperience 

 of sower, and the many other causes which produce con- 

 flicting results in the germination of seed, development 

 of plants, and in the perfection of growth, fruit or flower. 



To clearly convey the position taken by European 

 seed merchants uiwa this subject of resj^onsibility, four 

 forms of disclaimer, as published by as many well-known 

 foreign seedsmen, are here given, all others using the 

 same or similar forms : 



1st. '^ We herewith desire to remind our customers, 

 tliat whilst using our utmost care to supply seed only 

 of such quality as to insure entire satisfaction, we give no 

 warranty as to description, quality or productiveness, 

 there being too many causes, known and unknown, 

 which prevent good seeds from germinating." 



2d. *'We wish it to be distinctly understood, that 

 while we exercise the greatest care to supply all seeds 

 pure and reliable, we are not, in any respect, liable or 

 responsible for the seeds sold by us, or for any loss or 

 dama.2:e arising from any failure thereof." 



3d. '^ We send out only seeds that will, to the best 

 of our belief, give entire satisfaction ; it must, however, 

 be expressly understood that immunity from error being 

 unattainable, and success more often dependent on cli- 

 matic or local influences than is generally supposed, we 

 warrant neither description, growth nor productiveness 

 of any goods we sell, nor will we hold ourselves in any 

 way responsible for the crop." 



4th. '" We give no warranty, express or implied, 

 as to descrij)tion, quality, productiveness, or any other 



