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ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 
Suggestions as to the Purchase of 
FERTILISERS AND FEEDING STUFFS. 
The Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1893 (56 and 57 
Vict.,ch. 56), which comes into force on January 1, 1894, gives to agriculturists 
the important protection that the seller must give the purchaser an Invoice 
stating the nature of the article sold — such Invoice to have the effect of a 
warranty that the article is of the quality stated. The provisions of the Act 
dealing with this matter w T ill be found in Sections 1, 2, 3, and 8 of the Act 
(which is quoted in full on pages 795-9), and it should be observed that for the 
further assistance of farmers who may desire to have analyses made of ferti- 
lisers or feeding stuffs (and who presumably are not connected with organisa- 
tions already existing — like the Royal Agricultural Society — which provide 
for their Members analyses at low rates), Section 4 of the Act requires each 
County Council to appoint a “ District Agricultural Analyst,” and Section S' 
prescribes the procedure to be adopted on submitting samples to him, in 
accordance with regulations to be made by the Board of Agriculture. 
It will be seen from the Act that proceedings for penalties under Section 3 
for offences created by the Act are to be “without prejudice to any civil 
liability ” ; and in view of this civil liability, the Royal Agricultural Society 
has prepared the following Suggestions and Instructions for the guidance of 
Members of the Society in their general farming transactions, having regard 
to the ordinary rights and liabilities of vendor and purchaser at common law. 
Where, however, it is desired to institute a prosecution for any offence 
under the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, the special procedure prescribed 
therein should be adopted. 
SUGGESTIONS TO PURCHASERS. 
In view of the above observations, a purchaser is recommended in all cases 
to insist on having an Invoice, and to see that such Invoice contains the 
following particulars : — 
In the case of Fertilisers : 
(1) The name of the Fertiliser. 
(2) Whether the Fertiliser is artificially compounded or not. 
(3) The minimum analysis of the Fertiliser in respect of its principal 
fertilising ingredients. 
In the case of artificially prepared Feeding Stuffs for Cattle : 
(1 ) The name of the article. 
(2) The description of the article— whether it lias been prepared (a) 
from one substance or seed, or (5) from more than one substance 
or seed. 
For example — 
(«) An invoice describing an artiele as “ Linseed Cake ” implies a 
warranty that the article is pure, i.e. is prepared from linseed 
only ; “ Cotton Cake ” (whether decorticated or undecorticated) 
and “ Rape Cake ” (for feeding purposes) would come under a 
similar category. 
