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pointed by the President, and who shall receive for his compensation 

 a salary of three thousand dollars per annum. 



Sec. 3. And be it further enacted , That it shall be the duty of 

 the Commissioner of Agriculture to acquire and preserve in his Depart- 

 ment all information concerning agriculture which he can obtain by 

 means of books and correspondence, and by practical and scientific 

 experiments, (accurate records of v/hich experiments shall be kept in 

 his office,) by the collection of statistics, and by any other ap- 

 propriate means within his power; to collect, as he may be able, new 

 and valuable seeds and plants; to test, by cultivation, the value of 

 such of them as may require such tests; to propagate such as may be 

 worthy of propagation, and to distribute them among agriculturists. 

 He shall annually make a general report in writing of his acts to the 

 President and to Congress, in which he may recommend the publication 

 of papers forming parts of or accompanying his report, which report 

 shall also contain an account of all moneys received and expended by 

 him. He shall also make special reports on particular subjects when- 

 ever required to do so by the President or either House of Congress, 

 or when he shall think the subject in his charge requires it, He 

 shall receive and have charge of all the property of the agricultural 

 division of the Patent Office in the Department of the Interior, in- 

 cluding the fixtures and property of the propagating garden. He shall 

 direct and superintend the expenditure of all money appropriated by 

 Congress to the Department, and render accounts thereof, and also of 

 all money heretofore appropriated for agriculture and remaining unex- 

 pended. And said Commissioner may send and receive through the mails, 

 free of charge, all communications and other matter pertaining to the 

 business of his Department, not exceeding in weight thirty-two ounces. 



Sec. 4. And be it further enacte d. That the Commissioner of 

 Agriculture shall appoint a chief clerk, with a salary of two thousand 

 dollars, who in all cases during the necessary absence of the Com- 

 missioner, or when the said principal office shall become vacant, shall 

 perform the duties of Commissioner, and he shall appoint such other 

 employes as Congress may from time to time provide, with salaries 

 corresponding to the salaries of similar officers in other Departments 

 of the Government; and he shall, as Congress may from tim.e to time 

 provide, employ other persons, for such time as their services may be 

 needed, including chemists, botanists, entomologists, and other per- 

 sons skilled in the natural sciences pertaining to agriculture. And 

 the said Commissioner, and every other person to be appointed in the 

 said Department, shall, before he enters upon the duties of his office 

 or appointment, make oath or affirmation truly and faithfully to 

 execute the trust committed to him. And the said Commissioner and the 

 chief clerk shall also, before entering upon their duties, severally 

 give bonds to the Treasurer of the United States, the former in the 



