September, 1913] results of seed tests, 1913. 2^5 



Sect. 4. Whoever sells, offers, or exposes for sale or for dis- 

 tribution, within this state, any agricultural seeds heretofore 

 named in this act, without complying with the requirements of 

 sections one and two, or whoever, with intention to deceive, 

 wrongly marks or labels any lot of agricultural seeds, includ- 

 ing the seeds of cereals, grasses, forage plants, vegetables, 

 garden plants, and white pine trees, but not including those 

 of other trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants, as pertains to 

 their percentage of purity and vitality, shall be punished by 

 a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for the first offense, 

 and not exceeding two hundred dollars for each subsequent 

 offense. 



Sect. 5. The provisions of the four preceding sections shall 

 not apply to any person growing, selling, offering, or exposing 

 for sale cereals and other agricultural seeds for food. 



Sect. 6. The secretary of the State Board of Agriculture 

 shall diligently enforce the provisions of sections one and four 

 of this act, and in his discretion prosecute offenses against the 

 same. 



THE OBJECT OF THE LAW 



The object of the Pure Seed Law is in substance the same as 

 that of our pure food and fertilizer laws, namely, to have the 

 buyer know just what he is buying. It is intended to provide 

 a means whereby our farmers and other purchasers of seeds 

 may have reliable information, on the basis of which they may 

 protect themselves against the introduction of noxious weeds 

 and against loss through weak or otherwise worthless seeds; 

 also to provide a reasonable protection for careful, consci- 

 entious dealers against negligent, designing, or unscrupulous 

 ones. 



It is not the purpose or intent of the law to work a hardship 

 on our seed dealers or to hurt their legitimate business, and 

 neither is it intended to require farmers and other growers to 

 purchase seeds of a better quality than they desire. 



