§ 106-668.  Punishment for violations.

Each of the following offenses shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor and any person upon conviction thereof shall be punished as provided by law for the punishment of Class 1 misdemeanors:

(1) To manufacture, offer for sale, or sell in this State any mixed fertilizer or fertilizer materials containing any substance that is injurious to crop growth or deleterious to the soil, or to use in such mixed fertilizer or fertilizer materials as a filler any substance with the effect of defrauding the purchaser.

(2) To offer for sale or to sell in this State for fertilizer purposes any raw or untreated leather, hair, wool waste, hoof, horn, rubber or similar nitrogenous materials, the plant food content of which is largely unavailable, either as such or mixed with other fertilizer materials.

(3) To make any false or misleading representation in regard to any mixed fertilizer or fertilizer material shipped, sold or offered for sale by him in this State, or to use any misleading or deceptive trademark or brand in connection therewith.  The sale or offer for sale of any mixture of nitrogenous fertilizer materials under a name or other designation descriptive of only one of the components of the mixture shall be considered deceptive and fraudulent.

The Commissioner is authorized to refuse registration for any commercial fertilizer with respect to which this section is violated.

(4) The filing with the Commissioner of any false statement of fact in connection with the registration under G.S. 106-660 of any commercial fertilizer.

(5) Forcibly obstructing the Commissioner or any official inspector authorized by the Commissioner in the lawful performance by him of his duties in the administration of this Article.

(6) Knowingly taking a false sample of commercial fertilizer for use under provisions of this Article; or knowingly submitting to the Commissioner for analysis a false sample thereof; or making to any person any false representation with regard to any commercial fertilizer sold or offered for sale in this State for the purpose of deceiving or defrauding such other person.

(7) The fraudulent tampering with any lot of commercial fertilizer so that as a result thereof any sample of such commercial fertilizer taken and submitted for analysis under this Article may not correctly represent the lot; or tampering with any sample taken or submitted for analysis under this Article, if done prior to such analysis and disposition of the sample under the direction of the Commissioner.

(8) The delivery to any person by the fertilizer chemist or his assistants or other employees of the Commissioner of a report that is willfully false and misleading on any analysis of commercial fertilizer made by the Department in connection with the administration of this Article.

(9) Selling or offering for sale in this State commercial fertilizer without marking the same as required by G.S. 106-661.

(10) Selling or offering for sale in this State commercial fertilizer containing less than the minimum content required by G.S. 106-659.

(11) Failure of any manufacturer, importer, jobber, agent, or dealer to have applied for and to have been issued a permit as required by G.S. 106-671 before selling, offering, or exposing for sale or distributing commercial fertilizers in this State.

(12) Failure of any manufacturer or contractor to procure a license under the provisions of G.S. 106-660(d) before beginning operations within the State. (1947, c. 1086, s. 20; 1959, c. 706, ss. 10, 11; 1977, c. 303, s. 14; 1993, c. 539, s. 810; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)