Any person who shall sell or offer or expose for sale or distribution in this State any agricultural, vegetable or flower seed without complying with the requirements of Articles 1, 3, 5 and 7 of this chapter shall be guilty of a violation of said articles, and the lot of seed in question shall be seized and condemned and sold or destroyed by the Commissioner of Agriculture, or his duly authorized representative, and the proceeds from any such sale shall be converted into the State Treasury for the use of the Department of Agriculture. The Commissioner, however, may in his discretion release the seed so withdrawn when the requirements of this chapter have been complied with and upon payment of all the costs or expenses incurred in any proceeding connected with such seizure and withdrawal.