(2) Containers shall meet any applicable Interstate Commerce Commission or other Federal specifications. Closures must effectively seal the contents against leakage. Friction tops must be fastened so that they will not come off under impact. This may be done by soldering, clips, or otherwise.

CROSS REFERENCE: For shipping container specifications issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission, see 49 CFR Part 78.

(3) Containers of liquids made of glass or other breakable material must be packaged to withstand handling enroute. The container shall be cushioned inside the carton to absorb shock and impact. Where feasible, absorbent material shall be used, to take up all the liquid in case of breakage.

(4) Poisons for scientific use, which are not outwardly or of their own force dangerous or injurious to life, health or property, may be shipped between manufacturers, dealers, bona fide research or experimental scientific laboratories and employees of the Federal, state or local governments who have official use for such poisons. Any such employee must be designated by the head of his agency to receive or send such poisons. The preparation and packaging of such poisonous articles shall be under the same conditions as apply to other articles covered by this part.

(c) Combustible and gaseous. (1) In addition to precautions specified in paragraph (b) of this section, containers of inflammable liquids must have sufficient air space to allow for vapor expansion under variations. This is to guard against bursting from internal pressure.

(2) Safety matches of a strike-onlyon-box or book variety may be mailed provided they are insulated adequately with aluminum foil, asbestos or other fire retardant material. Strike-anywhere matches may not be mailed.

(3) Compressed gas containers shall be of metal or nonshattering steel types, as required by the Interstate Commerce Commission or other Federal agencies. In addition to being cushioned to absorb shock, containers with release mechanisms shall be protected against damage or accidental discharge in transit.

(d) Radioactive materials. In addition to special packaging precautions, as prescribed in this part, a package containing radioactive materials must not emit from its exterior any significant alpha, beta, or neutron radiations and

the gamma radiation at any surface of the package must be less than 10 milliroentgens for 24 hours. The package must not contain more than 0.1 millicuries of radium, or polonium, or that amount of strontium 89, strontium 90, or barium 140 which disintegrates at a rate of more than 5 million atoms per second; or that amount of any other radioactive substance which disintegrates at a rate of more than 50 million atoms per second. See 14.2(d) of this chapter regarding disposition of dangerous radioactive materials that are nonmailable.

(e) Sharp edges and firearms. (1) Sharp pointed or sharp edged instruments such as knives, tools, icepicks, razor blades, etc., shall be wrapped to protect their points and edges from cutting through the outer carton in which they are shipped.

(2) Rifles or shotguns are mailable if they are not loaded. The mailer may be required by the post office clerk to establish this to the clerk's satisfaction either by opening the parcel or by giving him a written statement certifying that the gun is unloaded.

§ 15.3 Perishable matter.

(a) Time factor. Live animals that are otherwise mailable, and perishable foods and game, may not be sent through the mail unless there is sufficient time in ordinary transit for them, after mailing, to reach their destinations in good condition. Certain perishable foods may be shipped at the mailer's risk, provided they are not subject to rapid decay and the generating of obnoxious odors. Airmail, special handling, or special delivery services are advisable.

(b) Highly perishable food and game. (1) Crates, boxes, baskets, or other containers used to ship highly perishable goods should be so constructed as to protect the contents and to prevent their escape.

(2) Berries, fruits and vegetables are not mailable unless presented in dry condition.

(3) Water ice used as a refrigerant must be packed as though it were a liquid, in accordance with § 15.2(b). Dry ice (carbon dioxide solid) is acceptable when wrapped securely in heavy paper. Dry ice must not be packed in glass, metal or other air-tight containers. Sufficient insulation is necessary if a fiberboard box is used, in order to prevent condensation and wetting of the shipping carton.

(c) Live day-old poultry. Live dayold chicks, ducks, geese, guinea fowl and turkeys are acceptable in the continental surface mails under the following conditions:

(1) They must be presented for mailing in the original unopened hatchery box from the hatchery of origin.

(2) The date and hour of hatching must be noted on the box by a representative of the hatchery who has personal knowledge thereof (in the case of COD shipments made by a hatchery for the accounts of others the name or initials and address of the hatchery, or the post office box number and address of the hatchery shall be prominently shown in connection with this requirement). (3) They must not be over 24 hours old.

(4) The box must be properly ventilated and of proper construction and strength to bear safe transmission in the mail. (These boxes may be stacked 10 high in cars.)

(5) They can be delivered to the addressee within 60 hours of the time of hatching regardless of whether the addressee resides in town or on a rural or star route.

(6) They must be mailed sufficiently early in the week to avoid receipt at the office of address, in case of missed connections, on a Sunday, national holiday or on the afternoon preceding a Sunday or holiday.

(7) Shipments shall not be forwarded to the addressee from the office of original address nor returned to mailer if delivery cannot be made to either the addressee or sender within 60 hours of the time of hatching, but will be disposed of in accordance with § 48.2 (h) of this chapter. Shipments that are delayed beyond the 60-hour limit by washouts, snow blockades, wrecks, and the like, will be disposed of by postmasters in accordance with instructions in § 48.2(h) of this chapter.

(8) If a shipment is received at the office of address and it is not promptly accepted by the addressee, it will be held for delivery until the expiration of the 60-hour period from the time of hatching, if there is a possibility that delivery may be made within that period. If, at the expiration of the 60-hour period, the shipment has not been accepted, it will be sold. Such shipments will not be sold to the original addressee unless paid for in full. If the parcel is sent collect-on-delivery, the COD charges plus

the money order fee will show the minimum amount which may be accepted from the addressee, which is the amount that would have been collected from the addressee had the parcel been accepted when originally offered for delivery. If the parcel is sent as ordinary or insured mail and the price is not known to the postmaster, the addressee will not be permitted to buy the chicks after refusing to accept them but the shipment will be disposed of in accordance with § 48.2 (h) of this chapter.

(9) Boxes of day-old poultry of approximately the same size which are securely fastened together to prevent their becoming separated in transit may be accepted for mailing as a single parcel provided such parcel does not exceed 100 inches in length and girth combined.

(10) Day-old poultry originally shipped by air express or air cargo and then presented for mailing must be in first-class condition and be prepared in accordance with subparagraphs (1) through (5) of this paragraph. They must not be over 24 hours old at time of mailing.

(11) The shipments must bear special delivery or special handling postage in addition to regular postage.

(12) Day-old poultry vaccinated with Newcastle Disease (live virus) are nonmailable.

(13) Each box should bear, in addition to the address label on top, another address label on the side, or the narrow end, if the box is rectangular in shape, to eliminate unnecessary handling when boxes are stacked.

(d) Insects. (1) Queen bees and honey bees are acceptable in the continental surface mails, and queen bees only in airmail, when shipped in accordance with Federal and State regulations to assure that they are free of disease. Packages of honey bees must bear special delivery or special handling postage.

(2) Other live, nonpoisonous and nondisease-conveying insects may be sent through the mail when properly prepared and packaged and when shipped in accordance with regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

(e) Live scorpions. Live scorpions which are to be used for purposes of medical research or for the manufacture of antivenin will be accepted in the continental surface mail when packaged in a double mailing container, both parts of which are closed or fastened in such a manner as to prevent escape of the scorpions. The inner container shall be

of material which cannot be punctured by the scorpions and shall be plainly marked "Live Scorpions". Cushioning material must be used when necessary to prevent shifting of the inner container. The outer container shall be of sufficient strength to prevent crushing of the package or exposure of the contents during normal handling in the mails, and also shall be plainly marked "Live Scorpions”. Packages containing live scorpions may not be sent by air.

(f) Meats and meat products. Interstate shipments of meats and meat products may be sent through the mail only if they conform with regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under Federal statutes. Each shipment must be accompanied with a certificate submitted by the mailer on Form 3583, "Certificate of Shipper and Mail Shipment of Meat or Meat-Food Products". The form is designed for use by all shippers of meat or meat-food products subject to the inspection regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Three types of certificates are included in the form. The shipper must complete both sides of the form and submit it to the postmaster with each shipment. The original copies of all certificates must be kept in the post office for 1 year. Certificates one and two must be completed in duplicate and the duplicates must be sent daily in an official post office penalty envelope to the address of the U.S. Department of Agriculture printed on the form.

(g) Dead wild animals. The dead bodies, or parts thereof, of any wild animals, wild birds or their eggs, are acceptable for mailing only when they have been lawfully killed or taken and their shipment is not prohibited by law of the United States or of the State, Territory, district or foreign country or subdivision thereof in which killed or taken or offered for shipment. Mailing of fresh game is also subject to requirements of this section.

Par

(h) Furs, hides, skins or pelts. cels containing furs, hides, skins or pelts of wild animals are mailable when properly dried or cured; have no offensive odor; and are plainly marked, labeled, or tagged on the outside with the names and addresses of the shipper and the addressee together with such other endorsement, if any, as may be required by the game laws of the State, Territory, or district in which mailed. Hides and pelts shall be wrapped when necessary to prevent damage to other mail.

§ 15.4 Plant quarantines.

(a) Nursery shipments-(1) Nursery stock, etc. Nursery stock, including all field grown florists' stock, trees, shrubs, vines, cuttings, grafts, scions, buds, fruit pits, and other seeds of fruit and ornamental trees or shrubs, and other plants and plant products for propagation, except field, vegetable, and flower seeds, bedding plants, and other herbaceous plants, bulbs, and roots, may be admitted to the mails only when accompanied with a certificate from a State or Government inspector to the effect that the nursery or premises from which such stock is shipped has been inspected within a year and found free from injurious insects and plant diseases, and the parcel containing such stock is plainly marked to show the nature of the contents and the name and address of the sender.

(2) Preparation and packaging. The wettable packing material and the roots or butts of the plants must be wrapped or boxed in a waterproof material heavy enough to withstand safe transmission in the mails without leakage or loss of packing material. The term "waterproof material" means a tar-centered paper or kraft paper waxed on one side or a kraft paper with a waxed or tarred paper liner or plastic wrap. If a box is used, it must have a similar lining to prevent leakage or loss of contents and to insure retaining a moisture content for the roots of plants without weakening the box. The tops of all bundles must be wrapped with a covering of paper, straw or similar material to protect the plant from injury and drying out and if the plant has thorns or other pointed projections, the wrapper shall be punctureproof to avoid injury to postal employees handling such bundles.

(b) Plant quarantine applying to the continental United States. When any State or area is quarantined by order of the Secretary of Agriculture, under authority of the Plant Quarantine Act, or by an authorized State plant pest official cooperating with the Secretary of Agriculture, on account of a plant disease or insect infestation, the mailing of plants, plant products, or other articles covered by such quarantine or regulatory order from such State or area into or through any State or area is subject to the restrictions imposed by such order.

CROSS REFERENCE: For quarantine regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, see 7 CFR Chapter III.

(c) Terminal inspection for plants and plant products-(1) States and Territories requiring inspection. Packages containing plants and plant products addressed to Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Puerto Rico, Utah, and Washington must be examined by State inspectors at the places listed in § 15.4 (c) (6). The packages must be plainly marked on the outside to show the exact nature of their contents.

(2) Addressee must pay additional postage. The addressee must pay postage to send the package to the inspection place and must arrange with the State plant inspector to pay postage to return the package to the office of address after inspection.

(3) Packages addressed in care of State plant inspector. Packages may be addressed in care of a State plant inspector at a place other than where the addressee lives. The addressee must arrange for the inspector to pay postage to forward the package to the addressee after inspection. If the sender prints "Forwarding Postage Guaranteed" under the return address, the package may be forwarded by the inspector without prepayment of postage, and the amount due will be collected from the addressee when the package is delivered.

(4) Disposition of infected shipments. When the inspector finds that plants or plant products are infested or infected with injurious insects or diseases and are incapable of satisfactory treatment, or they are found to have been moved in violation of a plant quarantine law or regulation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or of the State of destination pertaining to such injurious pests, parcels will be returned to the sender and payment of postage for return collected on delivery. If the sender has marked the parcel to be abandoned, if undelivered, the package will be turned over to State authorities for destruction.

those quarantines may be obtained from the Plant Quarantine Division, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D.C., or see 7 CFR Chapter III.

(6) List of products and places of inspection (i) Alabama. Plants and Plant Products Subject to Inspection— All sweet potato roots, tubers, plants and vines, and parts thereof, which are not accompanied by a valid certificate tag issued by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries; and other vines, trees, and shrubs, and cuttings and grafts thereof, and strawberry plants, which are not accompanied by a valid nursery inspection certificate of the State of origin.

Terminal inspection place-Birmingham.

(ii) Arizona. Plants and Plant Products Subject to Inspection-All florists' stock, trees, shrubs, vines, cuttings, grafts, scions, buds, fruit pits and other seeds of fruit and ornamental trees or shrubs, and other plants and plant products for propagation, except vegetable and flower seeds.

Terminal inspection places: