ADULTERATION OF SEEDS 287 



to seed merchants to give a guarantee with the seeds they 

 sold. 



On 4th June, 1901, the Council approved these recommenda- 

 tions, but no further action was taken in the matter until 

 1913, when the Council sent representatives to support a 

 deputation to the President of the Board of Agriculture 

 (Mr. Runciman), which had been arranged by the London 

 Chamber of Commerce, to urge the establishment of such a 

 Central Testing Station. On this occasion Mr. Runciman 

 gave a very encouraging reply. 



The Weeds and Agricultural Seeds Act, 1909, only applies 

 to Ireland. 



In 1911 the Prevention of Fraud Committee of the Central 

 Chamber drafted a Bill to amend the Fertilisers and Feeding 

 Stuffs Act, 1906, which, having been approved by the Council, 

 was introduced into the House of Lords by Lord Clinton, 

 under the title of the " Sales for Agricultural Purposes Bill." 

 It contained clauses providing for the testing of seeds offered 

 for sale on somewhat similar lines to the Irish Act of 1909 ; 

 but although reported for third reading in the Upper House, 

 it did not proceed further. 



Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs. 



In December, 1890, the Council unanimously passed a 

 resolution, as follows : 



" That legislation to prevent the sale of adulterated manures 

 and feeding stuffs is urgently needed ; that the extension of the 

 principle and the improvement of the administration of the Sale 

 of Food and Drugs Act, or legislation on similar lines, appear 

 to afford a convenient method of effecting the desired reform ; 

 and that the Board of Agriculture be requested to take steps to 

 protect the British farmer in this matter." 



This was a subject which Mr. F. A. Channing (afterwards 

 Lord Channing of Wellingborough) made particularly his own, 

 and he was already engaged in preparing a Bill to deal with 

 it, but he was not able to be present at this meeting. Among 

 the speakers in this debate were Mr. Clare Sewell Read ; 

 Sir Richard Paget ; Major Craigie (then an official of the 

 Board of Agriculture) ; Mr. Herman Voss (Chairman of the 



