The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-03-06
Mhlr aeparttmt.
nnnnrtment of Arrioulture.

Mr.. Lovejoy, Of ILL.,, has framed
bill for ths establishment Of a Depart
mont Of Agriculture in the General
Government which proposes to enact
3ab followsA an EfRI
sncrIoN 1. Thete is hereby estab
Ilishsd OF The seat ef Government OF the
United States, 4 Department Of Agri'
scuIture. the general designs and duties
Of which shall be TO acquire from al
sources, and 10 diffuse among the people
Of the United States useful information
aud'knowledge on oil subjects connected
with agriculture in the most general
and comprehensive sense Of that word
iand 70 procure, PROPAGATE and distrib.
ute among the people, new aud valuable
seeds and plants.
SEC. 2. There shall he appointed by
the President by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, "Commis.
sioner of Agriculture, who shall be the
chief executive officer of tho Depart.
me0t Of Agriculture, who shall hold this
Office by tenure similar TO that Of
other civil officers appointed by the
President, and who shall receive for his
compensation a salary Of $4,000 per
annum.
SEo. 3. IL tshall be the duty Of the
Commissioner of Agriculture to ac-
quire and preserve in his department
all information concerning agriculture
which he can obtain by means Of books,
writings, and by practical experiments
aud scientific researches, (accurate rec
ords of which shall be kept in his office)
by the collection Of statistics, and by
any other means within his power, to
collect as he may be able, new, rare, an
valuable seeds and plants, to test by
cultivation the value of such of them
as may require such tests, to propagate
snch as may be worthy of propagation,
and to distribute them among agricul-
turalists. He shall annually make n
general report in writing Of his acts to
the President, in which he may recon-
mend the publication of papers forming
parts of or accompanying his report,
which report shall also contlin an ac-
count of all moneys received and ex-
pended by him. lie shall also mako
special reports on particular subjects
whenever required to do so by the
President or either House of Congress,
or when he shall think the subject in
his charge to require it. lie shall re-
Gcive and have charge Of all the prop
erty of the Agricultural Division of
the PatOut Office, in the Department of
the Interior. He shall direct and su.
porintend the expenditure of all money
appropriated for agriculture, and re-
naming unexpended; and said Com
missioner may send and receive thro'
the mails, free of charge, all communi-
cations, packages, and other matter per.
tanning to the business of his Depart
ment, not exceeding in weight 32
ounces.
SEC. 4. The Commissioner of Agri.
culture shall appoint chief clerk with
n salary of $4,000, and such other EN- :
ployees as may be necessary. with sala-
Ties corresponding to the salaries of
similar officers in other Departments of
the Government and he shall, as occa-
sion may require, employ other persons
for such time MS their services may be
needed, including chemists, botanists,
stomologists; and other persons skilled
in the natural sciences pertaining to
agriculture.