June t, 1898.] THfi TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE ANALYSIS OF MANURE. 
We have received the followin" from Mr. A. 
Philip, Secretary of the Ceylon Planters’ Asso- 
ciation : — 
Minutes of proceedings of a meeting of the Joint 
Committee of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon and 
the Ceylon Chambe» of Commerce, appointed to con- 
fer and to co-operate with reference to the subject 
of the Analysis of Manure, held at the Ceylon Cham- 
ber of Commerce Booms, Colombo on Friday, the 
29th April at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Present:— 
Messrs. W. H. Figg, (Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of 
Commerce) in the Chair. A. Philip, (Secretary Plan- 
ters’ Association of Ceylon), F. G. A. Lane, James 
Ryan, F. Macindoe, (Messrs. Carson & Co ), Joseph 
Fraser, L. Mnller, (Messrs. Freudenberg & Co.), A. 
Baur, M. Bremer, (Messrs. George Stnart <fc Co.), 
Hon. J. N. Campbell, A. A. Prideaux (Colombo Co)ii- 
mercial Co , Limited.) 
Mr. Philip was asked to act as Secretary; The 
notice calling the meeting was read ; Discussed the 
uestion generally; Resolved “ that an Ordinance is 
esirable.” 
Considered and discussed clause by clause the drait 
of an Ordinance for regulating the sale of manures 
or fertilisers cf the soil in conj notion witli a copy 
of the English act 1893, to amend the law with res- 
pect to the sale of Agricultural Fertilisers etc., the 
following draft was the result : — 
A DEAFT OP A PEOPOSED ORDINANCE FOR REGULATING 
THE SALE OF MANURES OB FERTILISERS OF THE SOIL. 
Whereas it is expedient to provide against the ad- 
ulteration of manures or fertilisers of the soil. It is 
hereby enacted by the Governor of. Ceylon, by and 
with the advice and consent of the Legislative 
Council thereof as follows: — 
Warranty on Sale of Fertiliser, 
(1) Every person who sells for use as a fertiliser 
of the soil any article manufactured in Ceylon or 
imported from abroad, shall give to the purchaser an 
invoice stating the name of the article and whether 
it is an artificially compounded article or not, and 
what is at least the percentage of the nitrogen, 
soluble and insoluble in water phosphates, and potash, 
if any, contained in the article, and this invoice 
shall have effect as a warranty by the seller of the 
statements contained therein. 
(Note)? whether the word “ Manufactured ” should 
come before or after the word “ article.”) 
(2) For the purposes of this section an article 
shall be deemed to be manufactured if it has been 
subjected to any artificial process. 
(3) This section shall not apply to a sale where the 
whole amount sold at the same time weighs less 
than half a ton. 
Penalty for Breach of Duty by Dealer. 
(1) If any person who sell any article for use as 
a fertiliser of the soil or commits any of the offences, 
namely — 
(а) Fails without reasonable excuse to give, on or 
before, or as soon as possible after the delivery of the 
article, the invoice required by this ordinance ; or 
(б) Causes or permits any invoice or description of 
the articles sold by him to be false in any material 
particulars to the prejudice of the purchaser. 
He shall without prejudice to any civil liability be 
liable, on summary conviction, for first offence to a 
fine not exceeding RlOO and for any subsequent 
offence to a fine not exceeding R500. 
(2) In any proceeding for an offence under this 
section it shall be no defence to allege that the 
buyer, having bought only for analysis, was not pre- 
judiced by the sale. 
Power to ajypoint Analyst. 
(3) The Government shall appoint one or more 
Government Agricultural Analysts for the land, who 
shall, while holding the office of Government Agri- 
cvtltural Analyst, not engage in any trade, manufac- 
ture or bu.siness connected with the sale or importa- 
tion of articles used for fertilising the soil. Should 
more than one Agricultural Analyst be appointed, 
one of them shall be appointed chief Agricultural 
Analyst. 
A person alleged to have committed an offence under 
this section in respect of an article sold by him, shall 
be entitled to the same rights and remedies, civil or 
criminal, against the person from whom he bought 
the article as are available to the person who bought 
the article from him, and any damages recovered by 
him may, if the circunistanoes justify it, include the 
amount of any fine and coats paid by him on convic- 
tion under this section, and the costs of and incidental 
to his defence on sucli conviction. 
Powp.r for Parohaser to hare Fertiliser Analysed. 
(1) Every buyer of any article used for fertilising 
the soil shall, on payment to a Government Agri- 
onlturnl Analyst of the fee sanctioned by the GoA’er- 
nor, be entitled within ten days after delivery of 
the article to the buyer, or receipt of the invoice by 
the buyer, whichever is later, to have the article 
analysed by the analyst, and to receive from him a 
certificate of the result of his analysis, 
(2) Where the buyer of an article desires to have 
the article analysed in persuanoe of this section, tie 
shall, in accordance with regulations hereto 
appended, take three samples of the article, and shall 
in accordance with the said regulations, cause each 
sample to be marked, sealed, and fastened up and 
shall deliver or send by post one sample with the 
invoice or a copy thereof to a Government Agricul- 
tural Analyst, and shall give another sample to the 
seller and shall retain the third sample for future 
comparison. Provided that a Government Agricul- 
tural Analyst, or some person authorised by him in 
that behalf with the approval of the Governor shall 
on request either by the buyer or the seller, and on 
payment of a fee sanctioned by the Governor take 
the samples on behalf of the buyer. 
(3) Tile certificate of the Government Agricultural 
Analyst shall be in such form and contain such par- 
ticulars as are directed, in the schedule hereto an- 
nexed and every Government Agricultural Analyst 
shall carefully enter in a register to be kept for that 
purpose, the result of any analysis made by him 
in persuance of this Ordinance. 
(4) If the seller or the buyer objects to the certifi- 
cate of the Assistant Analyst, one of the samples 
selected in like manner, may, at the request of the 
seller, or, as the case may bo, the buyer, be sub- 
mitted with the invoice or a copy, thereof to the 
chief analyst, and the seller, or as the case may be, 
the buyer shall on payment of a fee sanctioned by the 
Government be entitled to have the sample analysed 
by the chief analyst, and to receive from him a 
certificate of the result of his analysis. 
(5) At the hearing of any civil or criminal pro- 
ceeding with respect to any article analysed in per- 
suance of this section, the production of a certificate 
of a Government Agricultural Analyst shall be 
sufficient evidence of the facts therein stated, unless 
the defendant or the person charged required that 
the analyst be called as a witness. 
(6) The cost of and incidental to the obtaining of 
any analysis in persuance of this section shall be 
borne by the seller or the, buyer in accordance with 
the results of the analysis, and shall be recoverable 
as a simple contract debt. 
Penalty for Tampering. 
5. If any person knowingly and fraudulently (a) 
tampers with any parcel or fertiliser so as to pro- 
cure that any sample of it taken in persuanoe of 
this ordinance does not correctly represent the con- 
tents of the parcel ; or (b) tampers with any sample 
taken under this Ordinance he sliall be liable on 
conviction to a fine not exceeding R500, or for im- 
prisonment for a term not exceeding six months. 
Application. 
6. This ordinance shall apply to wholesale as well 
as retail sale. 
