46 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



Joshua H. Ordway''s Letter. 



J. W. Proctor, Esq. 



Dear Sir, — You rightly understood my suggestion at Salem,'' 

 in regard to the importance of raising new varieties of fruit. 

 They should be raised from the seed of fruit, — not from highly 

 cultivated kinds, — but from nature's healthy seedling trees, 



I can see no special benefit to accrue from continuing pre- 

 miums for pear or apple orchards, that are already set out with 

 existing old varieties. They will grow just as well without 

 aid from the society, as with, 



I am aware that most pomologists are of the opinion that 

 trees may be propagated indefinitely by budding or grafting, 

 and without examination have adopted that theory, and thus 

 foreign varieties have been extensively cultivated, to the neglect 

 of new varieties of our own. 



Nature has fixed laws, is ever true to them, and cannot 

 be crowded off the track. If this theory is the law of nature, 

 all existing varieties of fruit must in their own time cease 

 to exist. You will then understand why I consider it of so 

 much importance to^endeavor to introduce new and improved 

 varieties, 



I am of opinion that the pear has been cultivated so long by 

 suckers, from old trees, that it may possibly become extinct. 

 The old trees have lost their vitality, and cannot transmit life 

 to their seed. This seems to me the reason why we have so 

 many failures in pear seedlings, I seldom see a young pear 

 tree ; they are little old ones, just ready to die. 



West Newbury, Nov. 23, 1850, 



Farms, 



There have been but two farms entered for premium the 

 present year. The farm of J. F, Winkley, of Amesbury, en- 

 tered by Appleton Moore, and the farm of Henry Poor, of North 

 Andover ; but the last mentioned farm was not entered so soon 

 as the rules of the society require. 



