VARIETIES OF GRAPES 437 



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, pur- 

 plish-black berries covered with thick bloom, making a very 

 handsome cluster. 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, Xewburgh, 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, siu-face 

 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 ships well. Clusters large, 

 long, cylindrical with a large, single shoulder, often loose and with many 

 abortive fruits. Berries large, round, flattened at attachment to 

 pedioel, dark purplish-black, glossy, persistent, firm ; skin tough with 

 wine-colored pigment ; flesh gi-een, 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 In 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 



