[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 16, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 16CFR18.1]

[Page 136-137]
 
                     TITLE 16--COMMERCIAL PRACTICES
 
                   CHAPTER I--FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
 
PART 18_GUIDES FOR THE NURSERY INDUSTRY--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 18.1  Deception (general).

    (a) It is an unfair or deceptive act or practice to sell, offer for 
sale, or distribute industry products by any method or under any 
circumstance or condition that misrepresents directly or by implication 
to purchasers or prospective purchasers the products with respect to 
quantity, size, grade, kind, species, age, maturity, condition, vigor, 
hardiness, number of times transplanted, growth ability, growth 
characteristics, rate of growth or time required before flowering or 
fruiting, price, origin or place where grown, or any other material 
aspect of the industry product.
    (b) The inhibitions of this section shall apply to every type of 
advertisement or method of representation, whether in newspaper, 
periodical, sales catalog, circular, by tag, label or insignia, by radio 
or television, by sales representatives, or otherwise.

[[Page 137]]

    (c) Among practices inhibited by the foregoing are direct or 
indirect representations:
    (1) That plants have been propagated by grafting or bud selection 
methods, when such is not the fact.
    (2) That industry products are healthy, will grow anywhere without 
the use of fertilizer, or will survive and produce without special care, 
when such is not the fact.
    (3) That plants will bloom the year round, or will bear an 
extraordinary number of blooms of unusual size or quality, when such is 
not the fact.
    (4) That an industry product is a new variety, when in fact it is a 
standard variety to which the industry member has given a new name.
    (5) That an industry product cannot be purchased through usual 
retail outlets, or that there are limited stocks available, when such is 
not the fact.
    (6) That industry products offered for sale will be delivered in 
time for the next (or any specified) seasonal planting when the industry 
member is aware of factors which make such delivery improbable.
    (7) That the appearance of an industry product as to size, color, 
contour, foliage, bloom, fruit or other physical characteristic is 
normal or usual when the appearance so represented is in fact abnormal 
or unusual.
    (8) That the root system of any plant is larger in depth or diameter 
than that which actually exists, whether accomplished by excessive 
packaging material, or excessive balling, or other deceptive or 
misleading practice.
    (9) That bublets are bulbs.
    (10) That an industry product is a rare or unusual item when such is 
not the fact. [Guide 1]

[44 FR 11177, Feb. 27, 1979, as amended at 59 FR 64549, Dec. 14, 1994]