144 BULLETIN 109, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



An act entitled An act to provide for the nppointmont of an agricultural cleipisv for )be 



State. 



Section 1. Be it enacted hy the General Assemhly of Maryland, That the 

 governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall hereafter 

 annually appoint and commission a person of ability, integrity, and suitable 

 practical and scientific attainroents, as agricultural chemist for the State ; and 

 if the Senate shall have adjourned before the Governor shall make the appoint- 

 ment for the present year, or if a vacancy shall hereafter occur during the 

 recess of the senate, then the governor alone shall make such appointment, which 

 shall be good and valid until the tenth day after the meeting of the senate. 



Sf.c. 2. Be it enacted. That the State shall be divided into three districts: The 

 first shall comprise that part of tlie State now comprised in the first guberna- 

 torial district; the second, that of the third gubernatorial district; and the 

 third, that of the second gubernatorial district. 



Skc. 3. Be it enacted. That the said agricultural chemist shall spend one year, 

 the first beginning on the date of his appointment, in each of the said districts 

 in the order named ; it shall also be his duty to spend one month in each county, 

 and ^Howard district, and visit each election district. 



Sec 4. Be it enacied, That it sliall be the duty of said agricultural chemist 

 to analyze specimens of each variety of soil of the county in wh'ch he shall be, 

 that may be brought to him or that he may find to exist, and also to examine, 

 and, if necessary, analyze, specimens of each kind of marl, or other vegetable or 

 mineral deposit, that may come to his knowledge, in order that his instruction.s 

 may be of more practical utility. 



Sec. 5. Be it enacted, That it sliall also be his further duty to deliver one 

 public lecture, after having given timely notice thereof, in each election district 

 in ench county, and then to deliver a course of public lectures at each county 

 town, and at some central place in Baltimore County, after having given also 

 sufilcient notice thereof in each election district ; and he shall also permit the 

 clerk of the levy court, or the commissioners of tax, as the case may be, to talte 

 a copy of such course of lectures, to be retained and kept for the use and benefit 

 of the county, and published by said levy court or commissiouers of the tax, if 

 to them it shall seem expedient. 



Sec. 6. Be it enacted, That the said chemist shall make au annual report to 

 the house of delegates, if in session, and, if not, then to the governor, whose 

 duty it shall be to cause the same to be published, of his proceedings, and such 

 other matters, touching the agricultural interest of the State, as may be con- 

 sidered necessary. 



Skc. 7. And be it enacted, That for the faithful discharge of his duties the 

 said chemist shall receive the annual salary of $1,500, to be paid as the salaries 

 of other oflicers are or may be paid ; and for the purchase of chemical instru- 

 ments and materials tlie said ciiemist shall be allowed for the fir.st year the sum 

 of $200 in advance, and on each succeeding year a sum not exceeding $50, out of 

 such moneys as may be in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. 



This office, although not a geological one, is deemed of sufficient 

 interest to be noted here. The entire amount expended from the 

 creation of the office in 18"47 till the expiration of Doctor Higgins's 

 term in 1858, including the salary of the State chemist ($1,500 a 

 year), appears to have amounted to $19,239.03. An allowance was 



