452 Report of the Department op Horticulture of the 



lection of between four and five hundred. Again, it is the firmest- 

 fleshed of all our American grapes and in this respect comes as near 

 being a European as any other. The quality, while not of the 

 very best, is still very good, falling short in being a little too tart 

 and not quite rich enough. The bunches and berries are inter- 

 mediate in size and color between Delaware and Goethe. The 

 fruit ripens late and the variety ought not to be planted where 

 the Catawba cannot be grown. A careful study of the needs of 

 this variety would probably show that with special treatment a 

 splendid late-keeping grape might be grown for the fancy market. 

 Certainly it is worth cultivation by every amateur who wants grapes 

 in midwinter. 



Delago was produced by the late T. V. Munson as long ago as 

 1883 but seems not to have impressed him favorably as he did 

 not introduce it until 1896. The variety came to this Station in 

 1897 and has fruited regularly since 1900 but it does not always 

 ripen on our grounds and we had not seen it at its best when " The 

 Grapes of New York " was published and it did not, therefore, re- 

 ceive the attention in that work that we should give it were we now 

 publishing. 



Vine medium in growth and productiveness, not always hardy, somewhat susceptible 

 to mildew under unfavorable conditions; canes rather long, numerous, of medium size; 

 nodes slightly enlarged, with short internodes; leaves of medium size, light green; 

 flowers open in midseason or later, sterile. Fruit matures late, keeps unusually 

 well; clusters medium in size, oval in outline, variable in compactness; berries medium 

 to large, roundish, dark red, very persistent, meaty, vinous, sweet; very good in 

 quality; seeds slightly adherent to the pulp, average two, large. 



Eclipse is the only new grape in a collection of over four hundred 

 that we can unqualifiedly recommend fruit-growers to test. We 

 have had it at this Station since 1893 and it has been fruiting since 

 1896 and each year obtains greater favor in the eyes of those who 

 see it. It is a seedling of Niagara and, therefore, a grandchild of 

 Concord, which it resembles, differing chiefly in being earlier and 

 of much better quality. Unfortunately, the bunches and berries 

 are just a little smaller than Concord. The vines are hardly sur- 

 passed by those of any other variety, being hardy, healthy and 

 productive — qualities that should commend it for commercial 

 vineyards. The ripe fruit hangs on the vines for some time without 

 deterioration and the grapes do not crack in wet weather. It 

 ripens several days earlier than Concord and should make a splendid 

 forerunner of that standard sort. 



Eclipse was originated by E. A. Riehl of Alton, 111., from seed 

 planted about 1890. The mother plant was Niagara; the pollen 

 parent is not known. The variety was introduced in 1906 by Stark 

 Bros., Louisiana, Missouri. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, productive; canes intermediate in length, n-uniber and size; 

 nodes slightly enlarged, with internodes of average length; leaf-buds open in mid- 



