370 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 



glabrous above, wooly beneath. Bunches very large, loose, some- 

 times inclined to be straggling, long-conical. Berries large, dull 

 purple, oval ; flesh firm and crisp ; skin thick ; flavor and quality 

 good. Ripens late and keeps and ships well. 



Empire State 



(Vulpina, Labrusea, Vinifera) 



Empire State (Plate XVII) competes with Niagara and Dia- 

 mond for supremacy among green grapes. The variety is as ^'ig- 

 orous in growth, as free from parasites, and on vines of the same 

 age is as productive, but is less hardy, and the grapes are not as 

 attractive in appearance as those of the other varieties named. 

 In particular, the clusters are small in some localities, a defect 

 which can be o\'ercome only by severe pruning or by thinning. 

 The quality is very good, approaching the flavor of the Old 

 World grapes, its slight wild taste suggesting one of the ]\Iuscats. 

 Empire State ripens early, hangs long on the vine and keeps 

 well after picking without losing flavor. This grape originated 

 with James H. Hicketts, Xewburgh, New York, bearing fruit 

 first in 1S79. 



Vine vigorous, somewhat tender. Canes short, few, slender, 

 brownish ; nodes enlarged ; internodes short ; tendrils intermittent, 

 bifid. Leaves small ; upper surface light green, glossy, smooth or 

 somewhat rugose ; lower surface tinged with bronze, heavily pubescent ; 

 lobes three to five when present, terminal one acuminate ; petiolar 

 sinus deep, narrow, often closed and overlapping ; basal sinus variable 

 in depth and width ; lateral sinus deep, narrow, often enlarged at 

 ))ase ; teeth deep, wide. Flowers self-fertile, open late ; stamens 

 upright. 



Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Clusters large, long, slender, cylin- 

 drical, frequently single-shouldered, compact ; pedicel slender with 

 small warts ; brush short, light green. Berries medium or small, 

 round, pale yellowish-green, covered with thin bloom, persistent, firm ; 

 skin thick, adherent to the pulp, slightly astringent; flesh pale yellow- 

 ish-green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, agi-eeably flavored; 

 good to very good. Seeds adherent, one to four, small, broad, notched, 

 short, blunt, plump, brown. 



