The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1889-04-17

The following bill has also been intro
duced and if it becomes law and is sup
plemented with liberal appropriation,
will be of great benefit to our farmers:
Be it Enacted by the Legislature of the State OF
Florida:
SECTION 1. That there is hereby created
a Bureau of Agriculture, which depart
ment shall be known us the Department.
of Agriculture, the head or chief officer of
which department shall be the Commits
sioner of Agriculture. @
Sec. g. The Commissioner of Agricult-
ure shall perform such duties in relation
to agriculture as may be prescribed by
law; shall have supervision of all matters
pertaining to the public lands under regu-
lations prescribed by law, and shall keep
the Bureau OF Immigration. He shall
also have supervision of the state prison,
and shall perform such other duties as
may be prescribed by law.
Sec 3. The Commissioner of Agricult-
ure shall change the seal of his depart
ment SO as to conform to section / OF
this act, by inserting in it the words de
partment of Agriculture OF the State of
Florida He shall have power to make
and establish such rules. in conformity
with this act as will enable him to carry
out the designs and purposes herein con-
tanned, and to appoint such clerks as the
additional labor OF his department may
require.
Sec A. The Commissioner of Agricult-
ure shall be eX-officio member of the
Board of Directors of the Agricultural
and Mechanical College of the State, and
ex-officio a me mber of the Board of Trus-
tees of the Internal Improvement Fund.
SEC. 5. The Commissioner of Agricult-
ure shall, as soon after the passage and
approval of this act as practicable, place
his department. in correspondence with
the Department of Agriculture at Wash
ington, d. c., and with the Departments
of Agriculture of the several States and
Territories of the United States, and at
his option with foreign countries, and the
representatives of the United States in
foreign countries, with view to gather
ing facts and information that will aid
and advance the interest of agriculture
in the State of Florida. He shall also,
for the same purpose, open correspond
ence with such organizations societies
and associations in the State, having for
their object the promotion of agriculture
in any OF it's branches, as well as such in
dividuals as he may select in various
parts of the State
Sec. 6. 1t shall be the duty of the Com
missioner of Agriculture to arrange and
adopt some plan for collecting and pub
fishing agricultural and farm statistics in
connection with his annual report, in
such form and numbers as he may deem
best. or the financial condition of the de-
partment will permit, and he shall, be-
fore the LIST day of January In each year,
furnish the tax assessors OF the several
counties in the State with the necessary
blanks, together with such instructions
as will properly directthem in that work,
and such blanks shall contain only such
questions as relate to agriculture, horti.
culture and stock raising.
Sec. Z. 1t shall be the duty of each and
every tax assessor in this State, when
listing property for taxes, to also call on
all taxpayers and heads oil families in
their respective counties engaged in agri-
culture, horticulture and stock raising for
necessary facts and information for filing
out such blanks as the commissioner NAV
furnish them, and for such service each
tax assessor shall be paid - cents for
each taxpayer in the occupations hereto
fore mentioned, from whom information
for filing out blanks is obtained and
listed, to be paid by their respective coun-
ties in the same manner that the fees for
assessing State and county taxes are now
paid. Should any assessor of taxes fail
or refuse to comply with the provisions
of this act and the Instructions Of the
commissioner, the Board of County Com
miSSiOnerS of their respective counties