672 



Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act. 



[FEB, 



1893, to offer certain suggestions as to its administration 

 for the consideration of your Local Authority. 



The principal amendments of the law affected by the new 

 Act are : — 



1. The actual percentages, and not merely the minimum 

 percentages, of nitrogen, phosphates, and potash must be 

 stated in the invoices of fertilisers. 



2. The Act applies to sales of fertilisers, however small 

 the quantity sold. 



3. Statements of the percentages of chemical and other 

 ingredients in fertilisers, whether contained in the invoice 

 or in an advertisement or circular descriptive of the article 

 will have effect as warranties. 



4. In case of any feeding stuff artificially prepared other- 

 wise than by being mixed, broken, ground, or chopped, the 

 invoice must state the percentages of oils and albuminoids. 



5. Provision is made for analysis by the Official Agri- 

 cultural Analyst of samples taken without any communi- 

 cation of the fact to the seller. 



6. Local Authorities are authorised to appoint Official 

 Samplers who, at the expense of the Local Authority, 

 can take samples of any fertiliser or feeding stuff without 

 the consent of the owner. 



7. Provision is made to secure sellers from unreasonable 

 prosecutions, and for prescribing by Regulation the "limits 

 of error " within which they will be free from civil liability 

 in respect of the statutory warranty arising from the state- 

 ment of percentages contained in invoices. 



8. The Act applies to foods for poultry as well as foods 

 for cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and horses. 



Civil Liability of Sellers. 



In order that the provisions relating to the civil liability of 

 sellers may be made operative, it will be desirable that Officers 

 of the Local Authority should inquire, as opportunity offers, 

 as to the character of the invoices given by sellers of fertilisers 

 and feeding stuffs delivered within their districts. If any failure 

 to give the invoice required by the Act is brought under the 

 notice of the Local Authority, the attention of the seller might 



