Chap. 270.—An ACT to further define the duties and enlarge the
powers of the commissioner of agriculture. —

Approved February 29, 1888.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That.
the said commissioner of agriculture shall have under his
control the analyses of fertilizers sold, to be used for agricul-
tural purposes.in this state. The commissioner of agricul-|
ture shall make and publish, by circular, to all manufacturers
and dealers in commercial fertilizers known to him in this
state, and shall furnish to any person who shall apply for
them, rules and regulations for the registering, inspecting,
sampling, and analyzing of all fertilizers by this department;
and all factories for the manufacture of commercial fertilizers
in this state, shall, once a year, be inspected by him or his
agent, and the-size and character of business, the number of
employees, and the materials used, shall be published in his
annual report. A fair sample of every brand of fertilizer
sold to be used in this state, shall annually be first submitted
to the commissioner.

2. When he shall have thoroughly tested the same, which
it shall be his duty to do, if he shall find the same of no
practical value, he shall summon before him the parties inter-
ested, and give them a full and sufficient opportunity of cor-
recting any injustice that may have been done to them by
mistake, accident, or otherwise, and if it shall be found that
the brand is of no sufficient practical value, the sale of the
same for use in this state as a fertilizer shall be prohibited ;
but no analysis shall be made of any fertilizer for any manu-.
facturer or dealer until the same has been registered in the
department of agriculture, and twenty dollars for each brand
to be analyzed, - been paid to the treasurer of the state.
3. Any person violating the provisions of this act by sell-
ing any fertilizer to be used in this state, without first sub-
mitting a fair sample of the same to the said commissioner
under rules prescribed by him, shall be fined not less than one
hundred dollars for each offence, one-half of such fine shall
be paid to the informer, and the other half into the treasury
of the state: provided however, that agricultural lime, agri-
cultural salt, ground plaster, wood ashes and German potash,
shall not be subject to the provisions of this act.

4, All acts and parts of acts in conflict with this act are
hereby repealed.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage.