VARIETIES OF GRAPES 369 



great prodiictivcMicss; earliness, ripening in the North with Con- 

 cord ; exceedingly good health, being almost free from fungal 

 diseases ; great \igor, as shown by a strong, stocky growth and 

 ample foliage ; and almost perfect hardiness even as far north 

 as Canada. Its good qualities are offset by two defects : thin 

 skin wdiich bursts easily, thus wholly debarring it from distant 

 markets; and flavor and appearance not sufficiently good to 

 make it a table-grape. Elvira originated with Jacob Rommel, 

 Morrison, Missouri, from seed of Taylor. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, healthj^ productive. Canes numerous, 

 dark brown ; nodes flattened ; internodes short ; tendrils continuous, 

 trifid or bifid. Leaves large, thin ; upper surface light green, pubes- 

 cent, hairy ; lobes wanting or one to three with terminus acute ; 

 petiolar sinus deep, narrow, sometimes closed and overlapping ; basal 

 sinus usually lacking ; lateral sinus shallow, often notched ; teeth 

 deep, wide. Flowers self-fertile, open early; stamens upright. 



Fruit mid-season, does not keep well. Clusters short, cylindrical, 

 usually single-shouldered, compact; pedicel smooth; brush short, 

 greenish-yellow with brown tinge. Berries medium in size, round, 

 green ^\^th yellow tinge, dull with thin bloom, firm ; skin very thin, 

 tender, adherent, astringent ; flesh green, juicy, fine-grained, tender, 

 foxy, sweet ; fair in quahty. Seeds free, one to four, medium to large, 

 blunt, plump, dark brown. 



Emperor 



(Vinifera) 



Emperor is one of the standard shipping grapes of the Pacific 

 slope, being one of the mainstays of the interior valleys. On the 

 coast and in southern California, it is irregular in bearing, and on 

 the coast the fruits often fail to ripen. It is chiefly grown in the 

 San Joaquin Valley. It could hardly be expected to ripen even 

 in the most favored grape regions in the East. The following 

 brief description is compiled : 



Vine strong, healthy and productive. Leaves very large, with 

 five shallow lobes; teeth short and obtuse; light green in color; 

 2b 



