APPENDIX. 781 



CHAPTER 142. — 1852. 



AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Be it enacted, 4*c., as follows : 



Sect. 1. A State Board of Agriculture is hereby established, to 

 consist of His Excellency the Governor, His Honor the Lieutenant 

 Governor, and Secretary of State, ex officiis ; of one member from each 

 of the agricultural societies in the Commonwealth, that receives an 

 annual bounty from the State, and of three members to be appointed 

 by the Governor and Council. Said members shall hold their offices 

 for three years, except as hereinafter provided ; and the Governor and 

 Council, and the agricultural societies as aforesaid, shall, within sixty 

 days after the passage of this act, appoint said members ; and after- 

 ward whenever vacancies shall occur. 



Sect. 2. At the first meeting of this Board, appointed as aforesaid, 

 and called by His Excellency the Governor, the three members ap- 

 pointed by the Governor and Council, and the members from the agri- 

 cultural societies as aforesaid, shall be divided into three equal classes, 

 as near as may be, and the term of office of the first class shall expire 

 on the first Wednesday of February, in the year 1854; the second 

 class on the first Wednesday of February, in the year 1855 ; and the 

 third class on the first Wednesday of February, in the year 1856. 

 The expiration of each class shall be determined by lot by the whole 

 Board, and the vacancies thus created shall be filled by the Governor 

 and Council, and by the respective agricultural societies in which such 

 vacancy may occur. 



Sect. 3. It shall be the duty of this Board to investigate all such 

 subjects relating to improvement in agriculture in this Commonwealth, 

 as they may think proper ; and they are hereby empowered to take, 

 hold in trust, and exercise control over any donations or bequests that 

 may be made to them for promoting agricultural education, or the gen- 

 eral interests of husbandry. 



Sect. 4. The Board of Agriculture shall meet at the State House 

 in Boston, at le .st once in each year, and as much oftener as they may 

 deem expedient ; and they are hereby empowered to employ a suitable 

 person to act as Secretary of the Board, and to prescribe and deter- 

 mine his duties ; but all the duties of the Secretary of the Common- 

 wealth, relating to returns of agricultural societies, shall be performed 

 by the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture ; and all reports and 

 returns now required by law to be made by said societies, shall be 



