410 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 



having been found in a vineyard of Thomas grapes near White- 

 ville, North Carolina, by T. S. Memory, about 1868. 



Vine very vigorous, healthy, productive. Leaves large, longer 

 than broad, thick, smooth wdth coarsely serrate margins. Flowers 

 perfect. 



Fruit ripens in September in Xorth Carolina ; clusters large, with 

 from four to twelve berries which hang unusually well for a variety of 

 V. Rotundifolia. Berries very large, round-oblong, deep brownish- 

 black, almost jet black ; skin thick ; flesh tender, juicy, sweet ; good 

 to best. 



Merrimac 



(Labrusca, Vinifera) 



Merrimac is often accredited as the best black grape among 

 Rogers' hybrids, but an analysis of the characters of the several 

 black varieties grown by Rogers shows that it is surpassed 

 by Wilder, Herbert and possibly Barry. The vine is strong 

 in growth, productive, hardy and exempt from fungal diseases ; 

 but the grapes are not high in quality, and flesh, skin and 

 seed characters are such that the fruit is not as pleasant to 

 eat as the other black varieties named. Merrimac is worthy 

 a place in collections for the sake of variety. Rogers gave this 

 variety the name Merrimac in 1869. 



Vine vigorous, usually hardy, productive. Canes slender, dark 

 brown, surface roughened ; nodes enlarged, flattened ; internodes 

 short; tendrils intermittent, sliort, bifid. Leaves large, thin; upper 

 surface very light green, glossy, smooth; lower surface pale green, 

 pubescent and cobwebby ; lobes three with terminal one obtuse ; 

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

 sinus usually lacking; lateral sinus shallow, narrow; teeth shallow. 

 Flowers se'lf-sterile, open in mid-season ; stamens reflexed. 



Fruit mid-season, keeps and ships well. Clusters variable in size, 

 broad, tapering ; pedicel slender, covered with numerous inconspicuous 

 warts ; brush wine-colored. Ben-ies large, round, black, glossy with 

 abundant bloom, persistent, firm ; skin thick, tough, adherent, astrin- 

 gent ; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, stringy ; 

 good. Seeds adherent, one to five, broad, long, with enlarged neck, 

 brown. 



