POOR.

2039

to a portion of its inmates who may not otherwise have employ-
ment, or be so usefully employed.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That the commissioners for Montgomery county, shall levy on
tho assessable property of said county, such sum or sums of

Levy di-
rected.

money, not exceeding however in all, the sum of one hundred
and eighty dollars, as may from time to time, be required by
the trustees of the poor of Montgomery county, according to
the provisions of this act, which sum or sums of money, when
collected, shall be paid over to the said trustees, to be by them
expended as herein directed.

Limit $180.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of said
trustees to encourage the growth of the multicaulis mulberry,

Truntees
directed.

or Chinese mulberry, and the production of merchantable raw
silk, on the land of, and at said house, by the individuals be-
longing properly thereto, according to law, and to enable said
trustees to carry into effect the aforesaid duty, they are hereby
authorized and required to determine what amount of the
mulberry could be cultivated by the aforesaid individuals on
said land, without materially interfering with its present agri-
cultural operations, being also influenced in estimating said
quantity, by the amount of labouring force belonging to the said
institution, which could conveniently be diverted from said
operations, or which may not be employed as aforesaid, but
could properly be applied to the production of raw silk, and
shall also estimate the probable sum of money that may be re-

Considera-
tions to de-
termine
them.

quired to purchase the same, and give timely notice to the com-
missioners for Montgomery county, that said sum may be by
them levied for this use, at the laying of the annual levy for
said county, for the year eighteen hundred and thirty-nine;

Notice to
commit-
sioners.

Provided however, that said sum does not exceed sixty dollars,
and they shall have power to apply, if necessary, any sum of
money, not exceeding five dollars, now in their hands, or
which may hereafter come into their hands, to enable them to
decide correctly on the subjects referred to them in this section.

Levy, not
over $60.
Informa-
tion fee.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That said trustees, on the receipt
of said sum, shall expend the same as soon after its receipt as
may conveniently be, in the purchase of buds and cuttings of
the multicaulis (or Chinese) mulberry, and have the same
planted and cultivated, in the manner they may deem expe-
dient, on the ground belonging to said institution.

Purchase
and planting
authorized.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That whenever the said trustees
may think proper, they are hereby authorized and required to
estimate the amount of money necessary to erect a cocoonery of
a suitable size on said land, and also shall estimate the amount

Estimate of
cocoonery.

of money necessary for the purchase of a reel or reels, books of
instruction, and for such other purposes as may be strictly and

Reels.