Manual of American Grape-Growing Part 32

Vine hardy, productive. Canes short, slender, dark brown; tendrils continuous. Leaves healthy, light green, glossy; veins well defined, distinctly showing through the thick bronze of the lower surface. Flowers open early, self-fertile stamens upright.

Fruit large, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters small to medium, slender, cylindrical or tapering, usually single-shouldered. Berries intermediate in size, oval, black with thick bloom, drop soon after ripening; skin adherent; flesh juicy, tough, fine-grained, a little foxy, mild next the skin but tart at center; good. Seeds short, blunt, light brown.

CAMPBELL EARLY

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

The meritorious qualities of Campbell Early (Plate IX) are: The grapes are high in quality when mature; free from foxiness and from acidity about the seeds; have small seeds which easily part from the flesh; are early, ripening nearly a fortnight before Concord; bunch and berry are large and handsome; and the vines are exceptionally hardy.

Campbell Early falls short in not being adapted to many soils; the variety lacks productiveness; the grapes attain full color before they are ripe and are, therefore, often marketed in an unripe condition; the bunch is variable in size; and the color of the berry is not attractive. George W. Campbell, Delaware, Ohio, grew this variety from a seedling of Moore Early pollinated by a Labrusca-Vinifera hybrid. It bore first in 1892.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes thick, dark reddish-brown, surface roughened with small warts; nodes flattened; internodes short; shoots p.u.b.escent; tendrils intermittent, short, bifid or trifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface green, glossy; lower surface bronze, heavily p.u.b.escent; lobes three, usually entire, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus shallow, wide; basal sinus p.u.b.escent; lateral sinus wide or a notch; teeth shallow, narrow.

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

Fruit early, keeps and s.h.i.+ps well. Cl.u.s.ters usually large, long, broad, tapering, single-shouldered; pedicel short, slender with small warts; brush long, light wine color. Berries usually large, round, oval, dark purplish-black, dull with heavy bloom, persistent, firm; skin tough, thin, adherent with dark red pigment, astringent; flesh green, translucent, juicy, coa.r.s.e, vinous, sweet from skin to center; good. Seeds free, one to four, light brown, often with yellow tips.

CANADA

(Vulpina, Labrusca, Vinifera)

Canada is considered the most desirable hybrid between Vulpina and Vinifera. The variety shows Vinifera more than Vulpina parentage; thus, in susceptibility to fungal diseases, in shape, color and texture of foliage, in the flavor of the fruit and in the seeds, there are marked indications of Vinifera; while the vine, especially in the slenderness of its shoots and in the bunch and berry, shows Vulpina.

Canada has little value as a dessert fruit but makes a very good red wine or grape-juice. Canada is a seedling of Clinton, a Labrusca-Vulpina hybrid, fertilized by Black St. Peters, a variety of Vinifera. Charles Arnold, Paris, Ontario, planted the seed which produced Canada in 1860.

Vine very vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, numerous, slender, ash-gray, reddish-brown at nodes with heavy bloom; nodes enlarged; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, short, trifid or bifid. Leaves thin; upper surface light green, smooth; lower surface pale green, hairy; terminal lobe acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow; basal sinus variable in depth and width; lateral sinus deep and narrow; teeth deep and wide. Flowers self-sterile, early; stamens upright.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters long, slender, uniform, cylindrical, compact; pedicel long, slender, smooth; brush short, light brown. Berries small, round, purplish-black, glossy with heavy bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent; flesh dark green, very juicy, fine-grained, tender, spicy, pleasant vinous flavor, agreeably tart; good. Seeds free, one to three, blunt, light brown.

CANANDAIGUA

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Canandaigua is worth attention because of the exceptionally good keeping qualities of the grapes. The flavor is very good at picking time but seems, if anything, to improve in storage. The vine characters are those of Labrusca-Vinifera hybrids, and in these the variety is the equal of the average cultivated hybrid of these two species. The characters of the fruit, also, show plainly an admixture of Vinifera and Labrusca so combined as to make the grapes very similar to the best of such hybrids. Canandaigua is a chance seedling found by E. L. Van Wormer, Canandaigua, New York, growing among wild grapes. It was distributed about 1897.

Vine vigorous, doubtfully hardy, productive. Canes long, few, reddish-brown, faint bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; tendrils semi-continuous, bifid, dehisce early. Leaves large, thin; upper surface light green; lower surface gray-green. Flowers sterile or sometimes partly self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens reflexed.

Fruit late mid-season, keeps unusually well. Cl.u.s.ters variable in size, usually heavily single-shouldered, loose to medium. Berries large, oval, black, covered with thick bloom, persistent; skin adherent, thin, tough; flesh firm, sweet and rich; good, improves as season advances. Seeds long with enlarged neck.

CARMAN

(Lincec.u.mii, Vinifera, Labrusca)

Carman is a grape having the characters of three species and hence is of interest to grape improvers. It has not become popular with growers, chiefly because the grapes ripen very late and are not of high quality. The most valuable character of the variety is that of long keeping, whether hanging on the vine or after harvesting. T. V.

Munson, Denison, Texas, raised Carman from seed of a wild post-oak grape taken from the woods, pollinated with mixed pollen of Triumph and Herbemont. It was introduced in 1892.

Vine very vigorous, hardy, rather productive. Canes long, numerous, thick, reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils intermittent, long, trifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface light green, glossy, older leaves rugose; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; terminal lobe acute; petiolar sinus deep; basal sinus absent or shallow; lateral sinus shallow when present. Flowers self-fertile or nearly so, open very late; stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters variable in size, tapering, single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, slender, smooth; brush short, slender, wine-colored. Berries small, round, slightly oblate, purplish-black, glossy, covered with heavy bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tough, free; flesh yellowish-green, tender, post-oak flavor, vinous, spicy; good to very good. Seeds free, one to four, small, blunt, brown.

CATAWBA

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

_Arkansas, Catawba Tokay, Cherokee, Fancher, Keller's White, Lebanon, Lincoln, Mammoth Catawba, Mead's Seedling, Merceron, Michigan, Muncy, Omega, Rose of Tennessee, Saratoga, Singleton, Tekomah, Tokay, Virginia Amber._

Catawba has long been the standard red grape in the markets of eastern America, chiefly because the fruit keeps well and is of high quality.

The vine is vigorous, hardy and productive, but the foliage and fruit are susceptible to fungi. These two faults account for the decline of Catawba in grape regions in the United States and for its growing unpopularity. In botanical characters and in adaptations and susceptibilities, the variety suggests Vinifera crossed with Labrusca.

The characters of Catawba seem readily transmissible to its offspring and, besides having a number of pure-bred descendants which more or less resemble it, it is a parent of a still greater number of cross-breeds. As with Catawba, most of its progeny show Vinifera characters, as intermittent tendrils, Vinifera color of foliage, a vinous flavor wholly or nearly free from foxiness, and the susceptibilities of Labrusca-Vinifera hybrids to certain diseases and insects. Catawba was introduced by John Adlum, District of Columbia, about 1823. Adlum secured cuttings from a Mrs. Scholl, Clarksburgh, Montgomery County, Maryland, in the spring of 1819. Its further history is not known.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes numerous, thick, dark brown; nodes enlarged; tendrils continuous, bifid or trifid.

Leaves large; upper surface light green, dull, smooth; lower surface grayish-white, heavily p.u.b.escent; lobes sometimes three, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow; basal sinus often lacking; lateral sinus narrow; teeth shallow, narrow. Flowers self-fertile, open late, stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, broad, tapering, single-or sometimes double-shouldered, loose; pedicel with a few inconspicuous warts; brush short, pale green. Berries of medium size, oval, dull purplish-red with thick bloom, firm; skin thick, adherent, astringent; flesh green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, vinous, sprightly, sweet and rich; very good. Seeds free, frequently abortive, two, broad-necked, distinctly notched, blunt, brown.

CHAMPION

(Labrusca)

_Beaconsfield, Early Champion, Talman's Seedling_

Champion is a favorite early grape with some growers, although the poor quality of the fruit should have driven it from cultivation long ago. The characters which have kept it in the market are earliness, good s.h.i.+pping qualities, attractive appearance of fruit, and a vigorous, productive, hardy vine. The hardiness of the vine and the short season of fruit development make it a good variety for northern climates. This grape is best in appearance of fruit, in quality and in the quant.i.ty produced, on light sandy soils. The origin of Champion is unknown. It was first grown about 1870 in New York.

Vine very vigorous, hardy and productive. Canes of average size, dark brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; shoots p.u.b.escent; tendrils continuous, long, bifid. Leaves large; upper surface dark green, dull, rugose; lower surface dull gray, downy; lobes usually three, often obscurely five, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus deep; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, early; stamens upright.

Fruit early, three weeks before Concord, season short. Cl.u.s.ters medium in size, blunt, cylindrical, usually not shouldered, compact; pedicel short with inconspicuous warts; brush white tinged with bronze. Berries medium in size, round, dull black covered with heavy bloom, soft; skin thick, tender, adherent, astringent; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, foxy; poor in quality. Seeds adherent, one to five, broad, long, blunt, light brown.

CHa.s.sELAS GOLDEN

(Vinifera)

_Cha.s.selas Dore, Fontainebleau, Sweet.w.a.ter_

Several qualities have made Cha.s.selas Golden a favorite grape wherever it can be grown. The variety is adapted to widely differing environments; the season of ripening is early; while not choicely high, the quality of the grapes is good and they are beautiful, clear green tinged with beautiful golden bronze where exposed to the sun.

Cha.s.selas Golden is a popular variety on the Pacific slope and should be one of the first Viniferas to be tried in the East. The following description was made from fruit grown at Geneva, New York:

Vine medium in vigor, very productive; buds open in mid-season.

Young leaves tinged with red on both upper and lower surfaces, thinly p.u.b.escent to glabrous; mature leaves medium to above in size, slightly cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower surface slightly p.u.b.escent along the veins; lobes five in number, terminal lobe ac.u.minate; basal sinus broad and rather deep; lower lateral sinus variable, usually broad and sometimes deep; upper lateral sinus broad and frequently deep; teeth large, obtuse to rounded.

Flowers late; stamens upright.

Fruit ripens early and keeps well in storage; cl.u.s.ters large, long, broad, tapering, sometimes with a single shoulder, compactness medium; berries medium to above, slightly oval, pale green to clear yellow, with thin bloom; skin thin, tough, adherent, slightly astringent; flesh greenish, translucent, firm, juicy, tender, sweet; good.

CHa.s.sELAS ROSE