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Many years ago the trustees of the Essex Agricultural 

 Society, believing that varieties of apples deteriorated and 

 became less productive, offered the liberal premium of one 

 hundred dollars for a new variety originated in this county 

 equal to the Roxbury russet or Baldwin. 



In 1879 Mr. Alfred Ordway of Bradford presented a 

 new variety of apples that originated in a neighbor's wood 

 lot, from which he took scions and put into his own trees, 

 which produced the apples presented. The apples are 

 much like the Baldwin and about the same size. Samples 

 have been presented several times. Your committee did 

 not feel satisfied that they were quite up to the standard, 

 and declined awarding the premium, but recommended a 

 gratuity of twenty dollars, which was voted by the trus- 

 tees. Last fall the premium was changed as follows : one 

 hundred dollars for a new variety originated in this county 

 equal to the Baldwin ; for a new variety of like character 

 originated elsewhere, provided they have been cultivated 

 in the county sufficiently to prove them equal to the Bald- 

 win for general purposes, twenty dollars. 



The additional premium is an improvement, as it mat- 

 ters not to the apple growers of this county where the ap- 

 ples originated, if they are productive and of good quality. 

 Some of our best apples are of foreign origin. The red 

 Astracan and Gravenstein are both of foreign origin and 

 of superior quality in their season. If there are winter 

 apples elsewhere better than we have, let us have them ; 

 get scions and test them. It is hoped this additional pre- 

 mium will induce people to make an effort for that pur- 

 pose. 



It is not easy estimating correctly the comparative value 

 of different varieties of apples, as there are so many qual- 

 ities to be considered. The taste of the apple, their color, 

 their size, their bearing quality, their keeping quality, with 



