Page:Kansas A Cyclopedia of State History vol 1.djvu/52

 the annual meetings should be held on the second Wednesday in January; that the board should make annual reports to the legislature, including both the agricultural and horticultural societies; that 3,500 of this report should be printed each year, and an appropriation of $3,500 was made to carry on the work of the society for the year 1872.

The first board was composed as follows: President, H. J. Strickler; vice-president, George W. Veale; secretary, Alfred Gray; treasurer, Thomas Murphy; executive committee, Martin Anderson, E. S. Niccolls, George L. Young, James Rogers, William Martindale, Malcolm Conn, Joseph K. Hudson, S. T. Kelsey, James I. Larimer and John N. Insley. Gov. James M. Harvey and Sec. of State W. H. Smallwood were ex officio members.

The first meeting of the board was held on March 12, 1872, when the constitution of the old agricultural society was amended to conform to the provisions of the act establishing the new board. At the close of the year the first annual report was compiled and presented to the legislature. Although this report contained much information regarding the agricultural interests of the state, the legislature evidently thought it ought to contatin more, for by the act of March 13, 1873, it was provided that “It shall be the duty of the State Board of Agriculture to publish, as a part of their annual transactions, a detailed statement, by counties, of the various industries of the state, and other statistics, which shall be collected from the returns of the county clerks, and from such other reliable sources as the said board may deem best; also to collect, arrange and publish from time to time, in such manner as the said board may deem to be for the best interest of the state, such statistical and other information as those seeking homes in the west may require; and they shall deliver a synopsis of it to such immigrant aid societies, railroad companies, real estate agencies, and others interested, as may apply for the same; also to arrange, in suitable packages and cases, and place the same in the agricultural rooms for public inspection, samples of agricultural products, geological and other specimens, provided for in this act.”

By the same act the Academy of Science was made a coördinate department of the State Board of Agriculture, and assessors were directed to collect samples of agricultural and other products and turn the same over to the county clerk, who would forward them to the agricultural rooms in the capitol at Topeka.

At the annual meeting on Jan. 14, 1874, Prof. James H. Carruth, of Lawrence, was elected botanist; Prof. W. K. Kedzie, of Manhattan, chemist: Prof. Edward A. Popenoe, of Topeka, entomologist: Prof. B. F. Mudge, of Manhattan, geologist; Prof. Frank H. Snow, of Lawrence, meteorologist; J. H. Carruth, B. F. Mudge and Frank H. Snow, a signal service committee.

During the year 1874 the secretary prepared and published a series of monthly statements, by counties, showing the condition of crops, etc. The board also began in this year the collection and arrangement