Manual of American Grape-Growing Part 34

Vine vigorous, healthy, hardy. Canes rough, hairy, long, numerous, dark brown; nodes enlarged; shoots very p.u.b.escent; tendrils continuous, bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, glossy, smooth or rugose; lower surface tinged with bronze, p.u.b.escent; leaf entire with terminal acute; petiolar sinus deep and wide; teeth shallow, wide. Flowers self-fertile, open early; stamens upright.

Fruit does not keep well. Cl.u.s.ters of medium size, broad, cylindrical, sometimes single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, thick with a few small warts; brush dark red. Berries of medium size, round, dull black with heavy bloom, drop badly from pedicel, firm; skin thick, tender, adherent with dark purplish-red pigment, astringent; flesh juicy, tough, solid, foxy; good. Seeds free, one to four, large, broad, blunt, light brown.

CREVELING

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

_Bloom, Bloomburg, Catawissa, Columbia Bloom_

Creveling was long a favorite black grape for the garden, where, if planted in good soil, it produces fine cl.u.s.ters of large, handsome, very good grapes. Under any but the best of care, however, the vine is unproductive and sets loose, straggling bunches. The variety is markedly self-sterile. The origin of Creveling is uncertain. It was introduced about 1857 by F. F. Merceron, Catawissa, Pennsylvania.

Vine vigorous, not hardy, often unproductive. Canes long, numerous, thick, reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long; shoots glabrous; tendrils continuous, long, trifid or bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, dull, rugose; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; lobes three, or obscurely five, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus deep, closed, overlapping; basal sinus very shallow; lateral sinus shallow, narrow; teeth shallow. Flowers on plan of six, self-sterile, open in mid-season; stamens reflexed.

Fruit early, does not keep well. Cl.u.s.ters long, broad, irregularly tapering, single-shouldered, the shoulder often connected to the cl.u.s.ter by a long stem, loose; brush thick, dark wine-color.

Berries large, oval, dull black, covered with heavy bloom, persistent, firm; skin thick, tough, adherent with wine-colored pigment, astringent; flesh pale green, translucent, juicy, stringy, tender, coa.r.s.e, foxy; good. Seeds free, one to five, broad, notched, blunt, light brown.

CROTON

(Vinifera, Labrusca, Bourquiniana)

The fruit of Croton is a feast both to the eye and to the palate.

Unfortunately the vine is difficult to grow, being adapted to but few soils and proving unfruitful, weak in growth, precariously tender and subject to mildew and rot in unfavorable situations. The grapes have a delicate, sweet Vinifera flavor with melting flesh which readily separates from the few seeds. The crop hangs on the vines until frost and keeps well into the winter. In spite of high quality of fruit, Croton has never become widely distributed, wholly failing as a commercial variety. It originated with S. W. Underhill, Croton Point, New York, from a seed of Delaware pollinated by a European grape.

Fruits were first exhibited in 1868.

Vine vigorous, tender, productive. Canes long, numerous, thick, dark reddish-brown; nodes enlarged; internodes short; shoots glabrous; tendrils intermittent, long, bifid. Leaves of medium size, hang late; upper surface light green, dull, smooth; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; lobes five, terminal one blunt; basal sinus narrow; lateral sinus deep and narrow; petiolar sinus narrow, often closed and overlapping; teeth shallow, wide. Flowers self-fertile, open late; stamens upright.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters uniform, very large, long, slender, irregularly tapering with heavy shoulder, very loose; pedicel long, thick with inconspicuous warts; brush green. Berries irregular in size, round-elongated, yellowish-green with thin bloom, persistent, soft; skin thin, tough, adherent, unpigmented; flesh green, transparent, very juicy, melting, vinous, pleasant, agreeably sweet; very good. Seeds free, one to three, elongated, notched, sharply pointed.

CUNNINGHAM

(Bourquiniana)

_Long, Prince Edward_

Cunningham is cultivated very little in America, but in France, at one time, was one of the best-known grapes, both as a direct producer and as a stock for European varieties. It was much sought for by the French as a stock for large Vinifera cions, the size of the vine giving an opportunity for making a good graft. In the South, where the variety originated, Cunningham is not largely grown, as there are several other varieties of its type superior in fruit and vine. The vine is a capricious grower and is particular as to soil and climate.

The grapes make a deep yellow wine of a very good quality but have little value as table-grapes. Cunningham originated with Jacob Cunningham, Prince Edward County, Virginia, about 1812.

Vine vigorous, spreading, productive. Canes large, long with stiff reddish hairs at base; shoots showing considerable bloom; tendrils intermittent, usually trifid. Leaves large, thick, round, entire or lobed; smooth and dark green above, yellowish green below, p.u.b.escent; petiolar sinus narrow, frequently overlapping.

Cl.u.s.ters of medium size, long, sometimes shouldered, very compact; pedicel long, slender with small warts; brush short, light brown.

Berries small, purplish-black with thin bloom; skin thin, tough with much underlying pigment; flesh tender, juicy, sprightly; quality poor or but fair. Seeds two to five, oval.

CYNTHIANA

(aestivalis, Labrusca)

_Arkansas, Red River_

There is controversy as to whether this variety differs from Norton.

The two ripen at separate times, and the fruits differ a little so that they must be considered as distinct. Cynthiana is particular as to soil and location, preferring sandy loams and does not thrive on clays or limestones. While very resistant to phylloxera, this variety is not much used as a resistant stock because it is not easily propagated. The vines are resistant to mildew, black-rot, and anthracnose and are strong, vigorous growers. The cycle of vegetation for Cynthiana is long, the buds bursting forth early and the fruit maturing very late. The variety has no value as a table-grape but in the South is one of the best grapes for red wine. No doubt it will prove one of the best southern sorts for grape-juice. Cynthiana was received about 1850 by Prince, of Flushing, Long Island, from Arkansas, where it was found growing in the woods.

Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive. Canes medium in length, numerous, reddish-brown with thick bloom; nodes enlarged; internodes short; shoots glabrous; tendrils intermittent or continuous, bifid. Leaves thick, firm; upper surface dark green, dull, rugose; lower surface tinged with blue, faintly p.u.b.escent, cobwebby; lobes variable in number, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow, closed, sometimes overlapping; basal sinus shallow; lateral sinus shallow, narrow; teeth shallow; stamens upright.

Fruit very late, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters medium to small, long, tapering, often single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, slender, with numerous warts; brush short, thick, wine-colored.

Berries small, round, black, covered with heavy bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent with purple pigment, astringent; flesh dark green, translucent, juicy, tough, firm, spicy, tart; poor in quality. Seeds adherent, one to six, small, short, blunt, dark brown.

DELAWARE

(Labrusca, Bourquiniana, Vinifera)

_French Grape, Gray Delaware, Ladies' Choice, Powell, Ruff_

Delaware (Plate VII) is used wherever American grapes are grown as the standard to gauge the quality of other grapes. Added to high quality in fruit, the variety withstands climatic conditions to which all but the most hardy varieties succ.u.mb, is adapted to many soils and conditions, and bears under most situations an abundant crop. These qualities make it, next to Concord, the most popular grape for garden and vineyard now grown in the United States. Besides the qualities named, the grapes mature sufficiently early to make the crop certain, are attractive in appearance, keep and ship well and are more immune than other commercial varieties to black-rot. Faults of the variety are: small vine, slow growth, susceptibility to mildew, capriciousness in certain soils and small berries. The first two faults make it necessary to plant the vines more closely than those of other commercial varieties. Delaware succeeds best in deep, rich, well-drained, warm soils, but even on these it must have good cultivation, close pruning and the crop must be thinned.

Delaware is grown North and South, westward to the Rocky Mountains. It is now proving profitable in many southern locations as an early grape to ship to northern markets. It is an especially desirable grape to cultivate in small gardens because of its delicious, handsome fruit, its compact habit of growth and its ample and l.u.s.trous green, delicately formed leaves which make it one of the most ornamental of the grapes. Delaware can be traced to the garden of Paul H. Provost, Frenchtown, New Jersey, where it was growing early in the nineteenth century, and from whence it was taken to Delaware, Ohio, in 1849 and from there distributed to fruit-growers.

Vine weak, hardy, productive. Canes short, numerous, slender, dark brown; nodes enlarged; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, short, bifid. Leaves small; upper surface dark green, dull, smooth; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; lobes three to five in number, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus narrow; basal sinus narrow and shallow when present; lateral sinus deep, narrow; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, open late; stamens upright.

Fruit early, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters small, slender, blunt, cylindrical, regular, shouldered, compact; pedicel short, slender, smooth; brush light brown. Berries uniform in size and shape, small, round, light red, covered with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent, unpigmented, astringent; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, tender, aromatic, vinous, refreshing, sweet; best in quality. Seeds free, one to four, broad, notched, short, blunt, light brown.

DIAMOND

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Few other grapes surpa.s.s Diamond in quality and beauty of fruit. When to its desirable fruit characters are added hardiness, productiveness and vigor of vine, the variety is surpa.s.sed by no other green grape.

Diamond is a diluted hybrid between Labrusca and Vinifera and the touch of the exotic grape is just sufficient to give the fruit the richness in flavor of the Old World grape and not overcome the refreshing sprightliness of the native fox-grapes. The Vinifera characters are wholly recessive in vine and foliage, the plant resembling closely its American parent, Concord. Diamond is well established North and South and can be grown in as great a range of lat.i.tude as Concord. Jacob Moore, Brighton, New York, grew Diamond about 1870 from Concord seed fertilized by Iona.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes short, brown with a slight red tinge; nodes enlarged; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, bifid. Leaves thick; upper surface light green, dull, smooth; lower surface light bronze, downy; lobes three in number, indistinct; petiolar sinus very shallow; teeth shallow.

Flowers self-fertile, open early; stamens upright.

Fruit early, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters medium to short, broad, blunt, cylindrical, often single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, thick with a few inconspicuous warts; brush slender, pale green.

Berries large, ovate, green with a tinge of yellow, glossy, covered with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent, astringent; flesh pale green, transparent, juicy, tender, melting, fine-grained, aromatic, sprightly; very good.

Seeds free, one to four, broad and long, sharp-pointed, yellowish-brown.

DIANA

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Diana (Plate XII) is a seedling of Catawba to which its fruit bears strong resemblance, differing chiefly in having lighter color, in being less pulpy and more juicy. The flavor resembles that of Catawba but has less of the wild taste. The chief point of superiority of Diana over Catawba is in earliness, the crop ripening ten days sooner, making possible its culture far to the north. The defects of Diana are: the vine is tender in cold winters; the grapes ripen unevenly; the berries and foliage are susceptible to fungi; and the vine is a shy bearer. Diana demands poor, dry, gravelly soil without much humus or nitrogen. On clays, loams or rich soils, the vines make a rank growth, and the fruits are few, late and of poor quality. The vine needs to be long pruned and to have all surplus bunches removed, leaving a small crop to mature. Diana is a satisfactory grape for the amateur, and where it does especially well proves profitable for the local market. Mrs. Diana Creh.o.r.e, Milton, Ma.s.sachusetts, grew Diana from seed of Catawba, planted about 1834.

Vine vigorous, doubtfully hardy, often unproductive. Canes p.u.b.escent, long, reddish-brown, covered with thin bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils intermittent, long, bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface light green, heavily p.u.b.escent; lobes three to five, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus deep, wide, often closed and overlapping; basal sinus shallow; lateral sinus narrow; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.