12 N. H. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 164 



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 per- 

 centage of purity and 'sdtality, shall be punished by a fine not 

 exceeding one hundred dollars for the first offense, and not ex- 

 ceeding 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 this 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, conscientious 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. 



LABELING 



The law does not apply to the common five and ten-cents pack- 

 ages of garden and flower seeds. Only seeds sold in bulk or in 

 packages of one pound or more are subject to the provisions of 

 the law and are required to be accompanied by a guarantee stat- 

 ing their percentage of purity and vitality. 



The guarantee or label may be of any form desired by the 

 seller of the seeds, as a tag, sticker, or direct brand upon the con- 



