Manual of American Grape-Growing Part 45

Fruit mid-season, s.h.i.+ps and keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters small, cylindrical, often single-shouldered. Berries medium in size, round, black, glossy with abundant bloom, persistent, firm; skin very thin, tender, with much dark wine-colored pigment; flesh white, sometimes with purple tinge, juicy, fine-grained, solid, sweet, spicy; fair quality. Seeds free, numerous, small, broad, faintly notched, sharply pointed, plump, dark brown.

OTh.e.l.lO

(Vinifera, Vulpina, Labrusca)

_Arnold's Hybrid, Canadian Hamburg, Canadian Hybrid_

In France, Oth.e.l.lo does remarkably well as a direct producer and is used also for a resistant stock. While most of its characters are spoken of in the superlative by the French, in America the variety is not so highly esteemed because of susceptibility to fungi. Moreover, the fruit matures so late that it could never become a valuable variety for the North. It is in no sense a table-grape but makes a well-colored, pleasant wine. Charles Arnold, Paris, Ontario, grew Oth.e.l.lo from seed of Clinton fertilized by Black Hamburg and planted in 1859.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; tendrils continuous, sometimes intermittent, bifid or trifid. Leaves of average size; upper surface light green, dull and smooth; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; lobes three to five with terminal lobe acute; petiolar sinus deep, very narrow, frequently closed and overlapping; basal sinus shallow, narrow; lateral sinus deep; teeth deep, wide; stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps fairly well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, broad, tapering, frequently with a loose single shoulder, compact; pedicel long, slender with numerous small warts; brush short, wine-colored. Berries large, oval, black, glossy with abundant bloom, very persistent; skin thin, tough, adherent with red pigment; flesh dark green, very juicy, fine-grained, tough, sprightly; low in quality. Seeds free, one to three, neck sometimes swollen, brown.

OZARK

(aestivalis, Labrusca)

Ozark belongs to the South and to Missouri in particular. Its merits and demerits have been threshed out by the Missouri grape-growers with the result that its culture is somewhat increasing. It is a grape of low quality, partly, perhaps, from over-bearing, which it habitually does unless the fruit is thinned. The vine is healthy and a very strong grower, but is self-sterile, which is against it as a market sort. In spite of self-sterility and low quality, Ozark is a promising variety for the country south of Pennsylvania. Ozark originated with J. Stayman, Leavenworth, Kansas, from seed of unknown source. The variety was introduced about 1890.

Vine very vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, thick with thin bloom, surface roughened; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils intermittent, usually bifid. Leaves dense, large; upper surface light green; lower surface pale green, thinly p.u.b.escent, cobwebby; lobes three to five; petiolar sinus deep, narrow; serrations shallow, narrow. Flowers self-sterile or nearly so, open late; stamens reflexed.

Fruit late, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, usually with a long, loose shoulder, very compact; pedicel short, thick, smooth; brush long, red. Berries variable in size, dull black with abundant bloom, persistent; skin tough with much wine-colored pigment; flesh tender, mild; fair in quality. Seeds free, small.

PALOMINO

(Vinifera)

_Golden Cha.s.selas, Listan_

This variety seems to be grown in California under the three names given--while in France Palomino is described as a bluish-black grape.

Palomino seems to be grown commonly in California as a table-grape and is worth trying in eastern America. The variety received under the name Palomino from California at the New York Experiment Station has the following characters, agreeing closely with those set down by Californian viticulturists:

Fruit ripens about the 20th of October, keeping qualities good; cl.u.s.ters medium to large, long, single-shouldered, tapering, loose; berries medium to small, roundish, pale greenish-yellow, thin bloom; skin and the adhering flesh medium tender and crisp, flesh surrounding seeds melting; flavor sweet, vinous; quality good.

PEABODY

(Vulpina, Labrusca, Vinifera)

Peabody is as yet a comparatively unimportant offspring of Clinton.

The grapes are of excellent quality. It appears to do better in the northern tier of states or in Canada, than farther south. This variety was grown by J. H. Ricketts about 1870.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, numerous, thick, light brown with ash-gray tinge, darker at nodes, covered with thin bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, bifid or trifid. Leaves medium in size; upper surface dark green, thin; lower surface pale green, nearly glabrous; lobes three, ac.u.minate; petiolar sinus shallow, wide; serration deep, narrow. Flowers semi-fertile, mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit early, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, usually with a shoulder connected to the bunch by a long stem, compact; pedicel short, slender, warty; brush short, green. Berries oval, black, glossy, covered with thin bloom, persistent; skin thick, tough; flesh very juicy, tender, vinous, spicy, agreeably sweet at the skin, tart at the center; good. Seeds free, broad.

PERFECTION

(Labrusca, Bourquiniana, Vinifera)

Perfection is a seedling of Delaware, which it greatly resembles but does not equal in fruit; its fruits being hardly as high in quality, do not keep as well, shrivel more before ripening, and sh.e.l.l more readily. In its vine characters, it is much more like a Labrusca than Delaware, suggesting that it is a Delaware cross. In the Southwest, Perfection is considered a valuable early red grape. J. Stayman, Leavenworth, Kansas, grew Perfection from seed of Delaware; it was sent out for testing about 1890.

Vine vigorous, healthy, injured in severe winters, productive.

Canes of medium length and number, slender; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, trifid or bifid. Leaves healthy, medium in size; upper surface light green; lower surface grayish-white with a tinge of bronze, heavily p.u.b.escent; lobes wanting or three to five; petiolar sinus shallow, wide; serration shallow. Flowers self-fertile or nearly so, open in mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit early. Cl.u.s.ters usually single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, slender, smooth; brush short, yellow. Berries small, round, red but less brilliant than Delaware with faint bloom, inclined to drop from pedicel, soft; skin thin, free from astringency; flesh medium in juiciness and tenderness, vinous, mild, sweet; good in quality. Seeds adherent, numerous, small, often with an enlarged neck.

PERKINS

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

At one time Perkins was grown largely as an early grape but has been discarded very generally on account of the poor quality of the fruit.

The pulp of the grape is hard and the flavor is that of Wyoming and Northern Muscadine, grapes characterized by disagreeable foxiness. As with nearly all Labruscas, Perkins is a poor keeper. Notwithstanding the faults of its fruit, the variety may have value in regions where grape-growing is precarious; for in fruiting it is one of the most reliable grapes cultivated, the vines being hardy, vigorous, productive and free from fungal diseases. Perkins is an accidental seedling found about 1830 in the garden of Jacob Perkins, Bridgewater, Ma.s.sachusetts.

Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive. Canes long, numerous, thick, dark brown, deepening in color at the nodes, surface heavily p.u.b.escent; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils continuous, bifid or trifid. Leaves medium in size, thick; upper surface rugose; lower surface heavily p.u.b.escent; veins distinct; lobes three; petiolar sinus deep, narrow; serration shallow. Flowers self-fertile, early; stamens upright.

Fruit early, s.h.i.+ps well. Cl.u.s.ters of medium size and length, broad, cylindrical, often with a single shoulder, compact; pedicel short, thick, warty; brush long, yellow. Berries large, oval, pale lilac or light red with thin bloom, inclined to drop from the pedicel, soft; skin thin, tough, without pigment; flesh white, juicy, stringy, fine-grained, firm, meaty, very foxy; poor in quality. Seeds adherent, numerous, medium in size, notched.

POCKLINGTON

(Labrusca)

Before the advent of Niagara, Pocklington (Plate XXII) was the leading green grape. The variety has the fatal fault, however, of ripening its crop late, which with some minor defects has caused it to fall below Niagara for northern grape districts. Pocklington is a seedling of Concord and resembles its parent in vine characters; the vines are fully equal to or surpa.s.s those of Concord in hardiness, but are of slower growth and not quite as healthy, vigorous nor productive. In quality, the grapes are as good if not better than those of Concord or Niagara, being sweet, rich and pleasantly flavored, although as with the other grapes named, it has too much foxiness for critical consumers. Pocklington is not equal to several other grapes of its season in quality, as Iona, Jefferson, Diana, Dutchess and Catawba, but it is far above the average and for this reason should be retained. John Pocklington, Sandy Hill, New York, grew Pocklington from seed of Concord about 1870.

Vine medium in vigor, hardy. Canes of medium length, number and size, dark reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; tendrils continuous, bifid or trifid. Leaves variable in size, thick; upper surface light green, glossy; lower surface tinged with bronze, p.u.b.escent; lobes one to three with terminus ac.u.minate; petiolar sinus deep, wide; teeth narrow. Flowers self-fertile, mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit late mid-season, keeps and s.h.i.+ps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, cylindrical, often single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, thick with a few small warts; brush short, green. Berries large, oblate, yellowish-green with tinge of amber, with thin bloom, firm; skin with scattering russet dots, thin, tender, adherent, faintly astringent; flesh light green with yellow tinge, translucent, juicy, tough, fine-grained, slightly foxy; good.

Seeds adherent, one to six, of medium length and breadth.

POUGHKEEPSIE

(Bourquiniana, Labrusca, Vinifera)

Poughkeepsie has been known long on the Hudson River, yet it is now little grown there and has not been disseminated widely elsewhere. In quality of fruit, it is equal to the best American varieties, but the vine characters are all poor and the variety is thus effectually debarred from common cultivation. Both vine and fruit resemble those of Delaware, but in neither does it quite equal the latter. In particular, the vine is more easily winter-killed and is less productive than that of Delaware. The grapes ripen a little earlier than those of the last named sort and this, with their beauty and fine quality, is sufficient to recommend it for the garden at least. About 1865, A. J. Caywood, Marlboro, New York, grew Poughkeepsie from seed of Iona fertilized by mixed pollen of Delaware and Walter.

Vine of medium vigor. Canes short, thick, dark reddish-brown; tendrils intermittent, frequently three in line, bifid or trifid.

Leaves small; upper surface green, glossy, older leaves rugose; lower surface grayish-green, p.u.b.escent. Flowers self-fertile, late; stamens upright.

Fruit early, keeps and s.h.i.+ps well. Cl.u.s.ters small, tapering, usually single-shouldered, very compact. Berries small, round, pale red with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tender, without pigment; flesh pale green, very juicy, tender, melting, fine-grained, vinous, sweet; very good to best. Seeds free, small, broad, with enlarged neck, brown.

PRENTISS