Part 41 (1/2)

(Labrusca, Bourquiniana, Vinifera)

The notable characters of Jewel are earliness and high quality in fruit; although, as compared with Delaware, its parent, the vine is vigorous, healthy and hardy. In form and size of bunch and berry, Jewel closely resembles Delaware, but the grapes are deep black in color. The flesh characters and flavor of the fruit are much like those of Delaware, the pulp being tender yet firm, and the flavor having the same rich, sprightly, vinous taste found in the parent. The seeds are few and small. The skin is thin but tough, and the grapes s.h.i.+p well, keep long, do not sh.e.l.l, and although early, hang until frost. Jewel is a most excellent grape, worthy the place among black grapes that Delaware has among red varieties. In particular, it is recommended for earliness and for localities in the North where standard varieties do not ripen. John Burr, Leavenworth, Kansas, grew Jewel from seed of Delaware planted about 1874.

Vine vigorous, healthy, hardy, productive. Canes slender, light reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils continuous, bifid. Leaves scant, thick; upper surface light green, dull, rugose; lower surface tinged with bronze, heavily p.u.b.escent; lobes three when present with terminus acute; petiolar sinus narrow; basal sinus usually lacking; lateral sinus shallow, wide; teeth shallow. Flowers self-sterile, open in mid-season; stamens reflexed.

Fruit early. Cl.u.s.ters small, slender, cylindrical, single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, slender; brush short, wine-colored. Berries medium in size, round, dark purplish-black, dull with heavy bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent, wine-colored pigment; flesh pale green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, sprightly, vinous, sweet; very good.

Seeds adherent, one to four, frequently one-sided, blunt, light brown.

KENSINGTON

(Vinifera, Vulpina)

Kensington has several very meritorious fruit and vine characters. The vine resembles that of Clinton, its Vulpina parent, in vigor, hardiness, growth and productiveness, but the fruit has many of the characters of the European parent, Buckland Sweet.w.a.ter. The grapes are yellowish-green, large, oval and borne in loose cl.u.s.ters of medium size. In quality the fruit of Kensington is not equal to that of Buckland Sweet.w.a.ter but is much better than that of Clinton. The flesh is tender and juicy with a rich, sweet, vinous flavor. The hardiness of the vine and the high quality of the fruit should make Kensington a favorite green grape in northern gardens. This variety was grown by William Saunders, London, Ontario. It was sent out some time between 1870 and 1880.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, slender, light brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils persistent, intermittent or continuous, long, bifid or trifid.

Leaves thin; upper surface light green, glossy, smooth; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent, hairy; lobes wanting or one to three with terminus obtuse; petiolar sinus narrow; basal sinus shallow when present; lateral sinus shallow, usually a notch; teeth deep and wide. Flowers self-fertile, open early, stamens upright.

Fruit mid-season. Cl.u.s.ters large, cylindrical, often heavily single-shouldered, loose, frequently with many undeveloped berries; pedicel long and slender with small, inconspicuous warts; brush short, pale green. Berries variable in size, oval, yellowish-green, glossy with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent, faintly astringent; flesh green, transparent, juicy, tender, vinous, sweet; good. Seeds free, two to four, wrinkled, large, long, broad, sharp-pointed, yellowish-brown.

KING

(Labrusca)

King is similar to Concord, compared with which the vine is more vigorous and prolific, time of ripening and length of season the same, the cl.u.s.ters are one-fourth larger, the grapes are more persistent, the pulp is more tender, the flavor nearly the same but more sprightly, the seeds fewer in number, the wood harder and of shorter joints and the pedicels larger. King was found in the Concord vineyard of W. K. Munson, Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1892. The vine was set for Concord and is supposed to be a bud-sport of that variety.

Vine very vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes large, dark reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, slightly flattened; internodes short; tendrils continuous or intermittent, trifid or bifid.

Leaves unusually large, thick; upper surface green, dull; lower surface grayish-white changing to slight bronze, p.u.b.escent; lobes three when present, terminal one acute; teeth shallow, narrow.

Flowers self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, broad, irregularly tapering, usually single-shouldered, compact. Berries large, round, black with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin thick, tough, adherent, astringent; flesh pale green, very juicy, tough, stringy and with some foxiness; good. Seeds adherent, few, large, short, broad, lightly notched if at all, blunt, plump, light brown.

LADY

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

The vine of Lady is much like that of Concord, its parent, although not quite so vigorous nor productive, but ripens its fruit fully two weeks earlier. The fruit is much superior to that of Concord in quality, being richer, sweeter and less foxy. The grapes hang on the vines well but deteriorate rapidly after picking. The term, ”ironclad,” used by grape-growers to express hardiness and freedom from disease, is probably as applicable to Lady as to any other of the Labrusca grapes. The foliage is dense and of a deep glossy green, neither scalding under a hot sun nor freezing until heavy frosts, making it an attractive ornament in the garden. Lady is deservedly popular as a grape for the amateur and should be planted for near-by markets. It succeeds wherever Concord is grown, and because of its early ripening is especially adapted to northern lat.i.tudes where Concord does not always mature. Although the fruit ripens early, the buds start late, often escaping late spring frosts. When Lady was first heard of, it was in the hands of a Mr. Imlay, Muskingum County, Ohio. George W. Campbell, Delaware, Ohio, introduced it in 1874.

Vine vigorous, hardy, medium in productiveness, healthy. Canes short, slender, dark reddish-brown; nodes flattened; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, bifid or trifid. Leaves medium in size; upper surface light green, glossy, rugose; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; lobes one to five with terminal one ac.u.minate; petiolar sinus shallow, wide; lateral sinus variable in depth and width; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit early, does not keep well. Cl.u.s.ters small, short, slender, cylindrical, sometimes single-shouldered, compact; pedicel thick, smooth; brush slender, long, greenish-white. Berries large, round, light green, often with a tinge of yellow, glossy with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin covered with small, scattering, dark dots, thin, tender, adherent, astringent; flesh greenish-white, translucent, juicy, tender, aromatic; very good. Seeds free, few, broad, light brown.

LADY WAs.h.i.+NGTON

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Lady Was.h.i.+ngton is in many respects a most excellent grape but falls short in quality and does not excel in vine characters. The grapes make a good appearance, keep and s.h.i.+p well and are tender, juicy and sweet. The vines are luxuriant, hardy, for a grape with Vinifera blood, and healthy although slightly susceptible to mildew. As an exhibition grape, few green varieties show better when grown with care than Lady Was.h.i.+ngton. In the West and Southwest, the variety is said to succeed better than any other Concord seedling. Lady Was.h.i.+ngton is another of J. H. Ricketts' fine seedlings, this variety having come from seed of Concord fertilized by Allen's Hybrid. It was introduced in 1878.