398 General LiNCoLN's Olfervations 
XXIII. A Letter from the Honourable BENJAMIN LINCOLN, 
Ef; F. A. A. tothe Honourable JAMES WARREN, Eff; 
F. A. A. relating to the ingrafting of Fruit-Trees, and the 
Growth of Vegetables ; inclofing the Obferwations of. his 
Friend on the Growth of Trees downward after the firft Year. 
Hingham, November 4, 1780. 
Mv DEAR Sir, 
4 TAKE this early opportunity, agreeable to my -promife, 
A to enclofe you the íentiments of my -friend on grafting, 
the growth of plants, trees, &c. Thefe were given ona conver- 
fation which arofe on my mentioning, that I-had obferved, for 
a;number of years, an apple-tree in my orchard, the natural 
fruit of which was, early, having been grafted with a winter 
cyon, producing fruit very like in appearance to the fruit pro- 
duced by the tree whence the cyon was taken, but deftitute of 
thofe qualities. inherent in:that fruit, and neceffary to its keep- 
ing through the winter. _ This led me to call in queftion the 
|» propriety of grafting winter fruit on a fummer ítock, and to 
enquire, whether the ftock through which, I fuppofed, the 
food paffed to the cyon, and by which it was fitted properly to 
nourifh the helplefs and newly adopted branch, would not ra- 
ther affimulate 7227, than that the cyon could, thus fed, retain 
all the qualities of its parent ftock. 
I am fenfible that there are objections to this new fyftcm ; 
and, perhaps, difficulties may ‘be raifed to it, which cannot be 
Obviated.— But, as this may arife either from the erroneoufnefs 
of the do&rine itfelf, or from the want of knowledge in the 
principles of vegetation, I think it fhould not be adopted or 
rejected 
