Part 48 (1/2)

When quality, color, shape and size of bunch and berry are considered, Triumph (Plate XXVIII) is one of the finest dessert grapes of America.

At its best, it is a magnificent bunch of golden grapes of highest quality, esteemed even in southern Europe where it must compete with the best of the Viniferas. In America, however, its commercial importance is curtailed by the fact that the fruit requires a long season for proper development. Triumph has, in general, the vine characters of the Labrusca parent, Concord, especially its habit of growth, vigor, productiveness and foliage characters, falling short in hardiness, resistance to fungal diseases and earliness of fruit, the fruit maturing with or a little later than Catawba. While the vine characters of Triumph are those of Labrusca, there is scarcely a suggestion of the coa.r.s.eness, or of the foxy odor and taste of Labrusca, and the objectionable seeds, pulp and skin of the native grape give way to the far less objectionable structures of Vinifera.

The flesh is tender and melting and the flavor rich, sweet, vinous, pure and delicate. The skins of the berries under unfavorable conditions crack badly, the variety, therefore, neither s.h.i.+pping nor keeping well. Triumph was grown soon after the Civil War by George W.

Campbell, Delaware, Ohio, from seed of Concord fertilized by Cha.s.selas Musque.

Vine vigorous. Canes long, dark brown with much bloom; nodes enlarged; tendrils intermittent, long, trifid, sometimes bifid.

Leaves large; upper surface light green, dull, rugose; lower surface grayish-white, p.u.b.escent; leaf usually not lobed with terminus obtuse; petiolar sinus deep, narrow, often closed and overlapping; basal sinus absent; lateral sinus shallow and narrow when present; teeth deep, wide. Flowers self-fertile, late; stamens upright.

Fruit very late. Cl.u.s.ters very large, long, broad, cylindrical, sometimes single-shouldered, compact; pedicel slender, smooth; brush short, yellowish-green. Berries medium in size, oval, golden yellow, glossy with heavy bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, inclined to crack, adherent, without pigment, slightly astringent; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, vinous; good to very good. Seeds free, one to five, small, brown.

ULSTER

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

The vines of Ulster set too much fruit in spite of efforts to control the crop by pruning; two undesirable results follow, the bunches are small and the vines, lacking vigor at best, fail to recover from the overfruitfulness. These defects keep the variety from becoming of importance commercially or even a favorite as a garden grape. The quality of the fruit is very good, being much like that of Catawba, and under favorable conditions it is an attractive green with a red tinge. The fruit keeps well when the variety is grown under conditions suited to it. Ulster originated with A. J. Caywood, Marlboro, New York, and was introduced by him about 1885. Its parents are said to be Catawba pollinated by a wild aestivalis. Both vine and fruit show traces of Labrusca and Vinifera, but the aestivalis characters, if present, are not apparent.

Vine hardy, productive, overbears. Canes short, slender, dark brown, surface roughened and covered with faint p.u.b.escence; nodes enlarged and flattened; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, bifid, dehisce early. Leaves small, thick; upper surface light green, glossy, smooth; lower surface grayish-white, p.u.b.escent; leaf usually not lobed with terminus acute; petiolar sinus medium to wide; basal sinus absent; lateral sinus a notch when present; teeth shallow, wide. Flowers self-fertile, early; stamens upright.

Fruit late mid-season. Cl.u.s.ters long, cylindrical, often single-shouldered, compact; pedicel slender, with numerous warts; brush short, yellowish-green. Berries medium in size, round, dark dull red with thin bloom, persistent; skin thick, tough, adherent, astringent; flesh pale green, translucent, juicy, tender, fine-grained, faintly aromatic, slightly foxy; good to very good.

Seeds free, one to six, medium in size, plump, brown.

VERDAL

(Vinifera)

_Aspiran Blanc_

Verdal is one of the standard late grapes of the Pacific slope, ripening among the last. The grapes are seen seldom in distant markets and the quality is not quite good enough to make it a very great favorite for home plantations. Vigor and hardiness of vines commend it as do the large and handsome fruits, and these qualities, with late ripening, will probably long keep it on grape lists in the far West.

The description is compiled.

Vines vigorous, hardy, healthy and productive; canes rather slender, half erect. Leaves of medium size, glabrous on both surfaces, except below near the axis of the main nerve; sinuses well marked and generally closed, giving the leaf the appearance of having five holes; teeth long, unequal, ac.u.minate. Bunches large to very large, irregular, long-conical, usually compact; shoulders small or lacking; berries large or very large, yellowish-green; skin thick but tender; flesh crisp, firm; flavor agreeable but not rich; quality good. Season very late, keeping and s.h.i.+pping well.

VERGENNES

(Labrusca)

The most valuable attribute of Vergennes (Plate XXIX) is certainty in bearing. The vine seldom fails to bear although it often overbears, causing variability in size of fruits and time of ripening. With a moderate crop, the grapes ripen with Concord, but with a heavy load from one to two weeks later. Vergennes is somewhat unpopular with vineyardists because of the sprawling habit of the vines which makes them untractable for vineyard operations; this fault is obviated by grafting on other vines. The grapes are attractive, the quality is good, flavor agreeable, the flesh tender, and seeds and skin are not objectionable. Vergennes is the standard late-keeping grape for northern regions, being very common in the markets as late as January.

The original vine was a chance seedling in the garden of William E.

Greene, Vergennes, Vermont, in 1874.

Vine variable in vigor, doubtfully hardy, productive, healthy.

Canes long, dark brown; nodes enlarged, strongly flattened; tendrils continuous, long, bifid or trifid. Leaves large, thin; upper surface light green, glossy, rugose; lower surface pale green, very p.u.b.escent; leaf usually not lobed with terminus broadly acute; petiolar sinus wide; teeth shallow. Flowers semi-sterile, mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps and s.h.i.+ps well. Cl.u.s.ters of medium size, broad, cylindrical, sometimes single-shouldered, loose; pedicel with numerous small warts; brush slender, short, pale green. Berries large, oval, light and dark red with thin bloom, persistent; skin thick, tough, adherent, astringent; flesh pale green, juicy, fine-grained, somewhat stringy, tender, vinous; good to very good.