834 Working of the Seeds Act, 1920. [Dec. 



proportion to the activities in this connection of the County Agri- 

 cultural Organiser." 



One of the mcsst hopeful pieces of propaganda work in this 

 connection during the past season has been the series of lectures 

 on the Seeds Act given by the Ministry's inspectors at meetings 

 which it was possible to arrange, thanks to various Branches of 

 the National Farmers' Union, and the Local Education Authori- 

 ties. In Wales the total number of meetings of this kind 

 attended by the Ministry's Seeds Inspector was 28, spread over 

 eleven different counties. The attendance of farmers at these 

 Welsh meetings was approximately two thousand, but as reports 

 appeared in most of the county papers circulating amongst the 

 farming community, the actual number of farmers reached must 

 have been far greater. 



Prosecutions. — Legal proceedings for infringements of the 

 Seeds Act have been taken in four cases during the season 

 1921-22. 



The first case was heard at Harrogate where a firm of seeds- 

 men in the town were charged with making a false statement 

 under the Act in respect of a quantity of onion seed. The 

 germination of the seed in question was stated to be not less 

 than the minimum percentage authorised by the Seeds Eegula- 

 tions, 1921, i.e., 60 per cent., whereas the actual germination 

 was found on an official test to be only 5 per cent. The Bench 

 imposed a fine of £1 Is. and .^3 3s. costs. 



The second case was in respect of a similar charge against a 

 seedsman at Knaresborough who exposed parsnip seed for sale 

 mth a declaration that the germination was at, or above, the 

 authorised minimum, i.e., 45 per cent., but which was shown to 

 be only 27 per cent. The Bench inflicted a fine of £1 and £1 Is. 

 costs. 



The third case was heard at Abertravennv, and the defendant 

 pleaded that the seed which was the subject of the prosecution 

 was eld and not intended for sale. The Bench decided that, as 

 there was some doubt as to the seeds being exposed for sale, the 

 case should be dismissed, but told the defendant that in their 

 opinion he was to blame for having such old seed on the pre- 

 mises. 



The fourth case was heard at Peterborough, the charge being 

 failure to deliver to the purchasers, in the case of two separate 

 sales of seed potatoes, the necessary statement as to class, 

 variety, size and dressing. A conviction was obtained, and a 



