Manual of American Grape-Growing Part 47

Vines vigorous, usually very productive. Leaves large, roundish, rugose, usually five-lobed; terminal lobe ac.u.minate; petiolar sinus moderately deep to deep, medium broad; lower lateral sinus shallow, broad, occasionally lacking; upper lateral sinus shallow to medium, broad; margins broadly and bluntly dentate. Fruit ripens the third week in October, keeping qualities excellent; cl.u.s.ters large, loose, tapering, shouldered; berries large to very large, oval to long-oval, pale yellow-green; flesh translucent, tender, meaty, vinous, sprightly; quality good to very good.

ROSE OF PERU

(Vinifera)

Rose of Peru is a favorite table-grape in California, confused with and possibly the same as Black Prince. Its chief commendable characters are handsome appearance and high quality of fruit and very productive vines. It is not adapted for s.h.i.+pping and does not enter plentifully into commerce. Its season is so late that the variety is hardly worth trying in the East, and yet it has matured in favorable seasons at Geneva, New York. The following description is compiled:

Vine vigorous, healthy, productive; wood short-jointed, dark brown. Leaves of medium size; deep green above, lighter green and tomentose below. Bunches very large, shouldered, very loose, often scraggly; berry large, round, black with firm, crackling flesh; skin rather thin and tender; flavor sweet and rich; quality very good to best. Season late, keeping rather well but not s.h.i.+pping well.

SALEM

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

_Rogers' No. 22, Rogers' No. 53_

Salem (Plate XXVII) is the one of Rogers' hybrids of which the originator is said to have thought most, and to which he gave the name of his place of residence. The two chief faults, unproductiveness and susceptibility to mildew, are not found in all localities, and in these districts, near good markets, Salem ought to rank high as a commercial fruit. The vine is hardy, vigorous and productive and bears handsome fruit of high quality. This variety was christened Salem by Rogers in 1867, two years earlier than his other hybrids were named.

Vine vigorous, hardy, variable in productiveness. Canes long, dark brown; nodes enlarged; tendrils continuous or intermittent, long, bifid or trifid. Leaves variable in size; upper surface dark green, dull; lower surface pale green with slight bronze tinge, p.u.b.escent; lobes one to three with terminus acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow, often overlapping; basal sinus lacking; lateral sinus shallow, narrow, notched. Flowers sterile, mid-season; stamens reflexed.

Fruit early, keeps and s.h.i.+ps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, short, broad, tapering, heavily shouldered, compact; pedicel short, thick with small warts, enlarged at point of attachment to berry; brush short, pale green. Berries large, round, dark red, dull, persistent, soft; skin thick, adherent, without pigment, astringent; flesh translucent, juicy, tender, stringy, fine-grained, vinous, sprightly; good to very good. Seeds one to six, large, long and broad, blunt, brown.

SCUPPERNONG

(Rotundifolia)

_American Muscadine, Bull, Bullace, Bullet, Fox Grape, Green Scuppernong, Green Muscadine, Hickman, Muscadine, Roanoke_

Scuppernong is preeminently the grape of the South, the chief representative of the great species, _V. rotundifolia_, which runs riot in natural luxuriance from Delaware and Maryland to the Gulf and westward from the Atlantic to Arkansas and Texas. Scuppernong vines are found on arbors, in gardens, or half wild, on trees and fences on nearly every farm in the South Atlantic states. As a rule, these vines receive little cultivation, are unpruned and are given no care of any kind; but even under neglect they produce large crops. The vines are almost immune to mildew, rot, phylloxera, or other fungal or insect pests; they give not only an abundance of fruit but on arbors and trellises are much prized for their shade and beauty. The fruit, to a palate accustomed to other grapes, is not very acceptable, having a musky flavor and a somewhat repugnant odor, which, however, with familiarity becomes quite agreeable. The pulp is sweet and juicy but is lacking in sprightliness. The grapes are not suitable for the market since the berries drop from the bunch in ripening and become more or less smeared with juice so that their appearance is not appetizing.

Vine vigorous, not hardy in the North, very productive. Canes long, numerous, slender, ash-gray to grayish-brown; surface smooth, thickly covered with small, light brown dots; tendrils intermittent, simple. Leaves small, thin; upper surface light green, smooth; lower surface very pale green, p.u.b.escent along the ribs; veins inconspicuous. Flowers very late; stamens reflexed.

Fruit late, ripens unevenly, berries drop as they mature. Cl.u.s.ters small, round, unshouldered, loose. Berries few in a cl.u.s.ter, large, round, dull green, often with brown tinge, firm; skin thick, tough with many small russet dots; flesh pale green, juicy, tender, soft, fine-grained, foxy, sweet to agreeably tart; fair to good. Seeds adherent, large, short, broad, unnotched, blunt, plump, surface smooth, brown.

SECRETARY

(Vinifera, Vulpina, Labrusca)

Injured by mildew and rot which attack leaves, fruit and young wood, the vines of Secretary are able to produce good grapes only in exceptional seasons and in favored localities. The fruit characters of Secretary, however, give the grapes exceptionally high quality, the berries being meaty yet juicy, fine-grained and tender, with a sweet, spicy, vinous flavor. The bunches are large, well-formed, with medium-sized, purplish-black berries covered with thick bloom, making a very handsome cl.u.s.ter. While the vine and foliage somewhat resemble those of Clinton, one of its parents, the variety is not nearly as hardy, vigorous nor productive. Moreover, in any but favored localities in the North, its maturity is somewhat uncertain. These defects keep Secretary from becoming of commercial importance and make it of value only to the amateur. Secretary is one of the first productions of J. H. Ricketts, Newburgh, New York, the original vine coming from seed of Clinton fertilized by Muscat Hamburg, planted in 1867.

Vine vigorous, doubtfully hardy, variable in productiveness. Canes numerous, light brown, conspicuously darker at nodes, surface covered with thin, blue bloom; tendrils intermittent, bifid.

Leaves small to medium, thin; upper surface light green, dull, smooth; lower surface pale green, glabrous. Flowers semi-fertile, early; stamens upright.

Fruit ripens after Concord, keeps and s.h.i.+ps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, cylindrical with a large, single shoulder, often loose and with many abortive fruits. Berries large, round, flattened at attachment to pedicel, dark purplish-black, glossy, persistent, firm; skin tough with wine-colored pigment; flesh green, juicy, fine-grained, tender, vinous, sweet; good. Seeds free, large, broad, notched, long, dark brown.

SENASQUA

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

The vine of Senasqua lacks in vigor, hardiness, productiveness and health. The grapes are of good quality, and when well grown are up to the average fruits of the Labrusca-Vinifera hybrids. Unfortunately the berries have a tendency to crack which is aggravated by the bunches being so compact as to crowd the berries. Senasqua is one of the latest grapes to open its buds and is, therefore, seldom injured by late frosts. It can be recommended only for the garden for the sake of variety. Stephen W. Underhill of Crown Point, New York, originated Senasqua from seed of Concord pollinated by Black Prince.

Vine weak and tender, often unproductive. Canes short, few, reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; tendrils intermittent, long, trifid or bifid. Leaves light green, glossy, rugose; lower surface whitish-green, p.u.b.escent; leaf usually not lobed with terminus acute; petiolar sinus narrow; basal and lateral sinuses shallow and narrow when present. Flowers fertile, late; stamens upright.

Fruit a little later than Concord, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, broad, irregularly tapering, usually with a small, single shoulder, very compact; pedicel thick, smooth, enlarged at point of attachment; brush short, reddish. Berries large, round, reddish-black, persistent, firm; skin thick, tender, cracks, adherent, contains some wine-colored pigment; flesh green, translucent, juicy, tender, meaty, vinous, spicy; good. Seeds free, one to five, long, narrow, one-sided, light brown.

SULTANA

(Vinifera)

This variety was formerly the standard seedless grape in California for home use and raisins, but it is now outstripped by Sultanina.

Sultana is possibly better flavored than Sultanina but the vines are hardly as vigorous or productive and the berries often have seeds. The description is compiled.

Vines vigorous, upright, productive. Leaves large, five-lobed, with large sinuses, light in color, coa.r.s.ely toothed. Bunches large, long, cylindrical, heavily shouldered, sometimes not well filled, often loose and scraggly; berries small, round, firm and crisp, golden-yellow, sweet with considerable piquancy; quality good.

SULTANINA

(Vinifera)

_Thompson's Seedless_

Sultanina is one of the standard seedless grapes of the Pacific slope, grown both to eat out of hand and for raisins. Probably it can be grown in home plantations in favored parts of eastern America where the season is long and warm. The following description is compiled from Californian viticulturists:

Vine very vigorous, very productive; trunk large with very long canes. Leaves glabrous on both sides, dark yellow-green above, light below; generally three-lobed, with shallow sinuses; teeth short and obtuse. Bunch large, conico-cylindrical, well filled, with herbaceous peduncles; berries oval, beautiful golden-yellow color; skin moderately thick; flesh of rather neutral flavor; very good.

TAYLOR

(Vulpina, Labrusca)

_Bullitt_

While it is from the species to which Taylor belongs that we must look for our hardiest vines, nevertheless this grape and its offspring, although not tender to cold, do best in southern regions, as they require a long warm summer to mature properly. The quality of the fruit of Taylor is fair to good, the flavor being sweet, pure, delicate and spicy and the flesh tender and juicy; but the bunches are small and the flowers are infertile so that the berries do not set well, making very imperfect and unsightly cl.u.s.ters. The skin is such, also, that it cracks badly, a defect seemingly transmitted to many of the seedlings of the variety. The vine is strong, healthy, hardy but not very productive. The original vine of Taylor was a wild seedling found in the early part of the last century on the c.u.mberland Mountains near the Kentucky-Tennessee line by a Mr. Cobb.

Vine vigorous to rank, healthy, hardy, variable in productiveness.

Leaves small, attractive in color, smooth. Flowers bloom early; stamens reflexed.

Fruit ripens about two weeks before Isabella. Cl.u.s.ters small to medium, shouldered, loose or moderately compact. Berries small to medium, roundish, pale greenish-white, sometimes tinged with amber; skin very thin; pulp sweet, spicy; fair to good in quality.

TRIUMPH

(Labrusca, Vinifera)