52 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I908. 



THE WRITTEN GUARANTY THE RETAILERS SAFEGUARD. 



In October, 1907, a signed circular relative to the protection 

 afforded by a written guaranty was sent to all dealers in Maine 

 in which the following statement was made. "I shall make no 

 prosecutions against any handler of feeding stuffs, fertilizers, or 

 agricultural seeds within the State provided he obtain at the time 

 of purchase a written guaranty that the goods are in conformity 

 with the law regulating their sale." 



In February, 1907, the following was sent to all known han- 

 dlers of grass and similar seeds in Maine. 



The law regulating the sale of agricultural seeds was more 

 particularly intended to apply to grass seeds than to ordinary 

 vegetable seeds. Such seed to be lawfully sold must carry "a 

 written or printed guaranty of its purity and freedom from 

 foreign matter." 



It is not enough that the package carries the figures but 

 they must be accompanied by explanatory words naming the 

 seed and what the figures mean. For example, — a bag of 

 timothy seed labeled "99.5 per cent" is not lawfully branded ; 

 it should be labeled in some such a way as the following: — 

 "Timothy 99.5 per cent pure." 



Maine dealers will probably find it impossible to buy out- 

 side of the State, grass seed whose purity is guaranteed, hence 

 Maine jobbers will have to fix the guaranty either by analysis 

 made by themselves or by someone else. The guaranty must be 

 in accord with fact. Maine retail dealers will have no difficulty 

 in buying properly guaranteed seeds from Maine jobbers. 



Although the written guaranty clause of the Maine food 'and 

 drug law applies only to the sale of food and drugs, discretion 

 • is given to the Director regarding prosecutions under other laws. 

 No prosecutions will be made against any handler of agricul- 

 tural seeds within the State provided he obtain at the time of pur- 

 chase, a guaranty personally signed in ink that the goods are in 

 conformity with the Maine law regulating the sale of agricul- 

 tural seeds. The guaranty to be of value should identify and 

 may. be attached to the bill of sale, invoice, bill of lading, or 

 other schedule, giving the names and quantities of the seeds sold. 

 The following is suggested as a form : — 



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