For the purpose of this Article, the following terms shall be construed respectively to mean:
(1) "Certified vegetable plants for transplanting" shall mean plants which have been tagged or labeled so as to indicate that such plants have been inspected by an authorized agent of an officially recognized State inspecting or certifying agency of some state, and found to conform to the appropriate standards set by the North Carolina Board of Agriculture.
(2) "Vegetable plants" shall mean such plants as asparagus, pepper, eggplant, sweet potato, onion, cabbage and other cole crops, tomato plants, white seed potatoes and onion sets intended for transplanting purposes and such other vegetable plants intended for transplanting purposes as the North Carolina Board of Agriculture may designate by regulation in order to protect the vegetable industry.
(3) As applied to vegetable plants "standards" include the qualities of color, freshness, firmness, strength, straightness, unbroken and undamaged condition, uniformity of size, and freedom from injurious insects, diseases, nematodes, snails, and other pests and means the standards with respect thereto as established and fixed in regulations adopted by the North Carolina Board of Agriculture. (1959, c. 91, s. 3; 1973, c. 1370, s. 2.)