THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 225 



terminal lobe acute to blunt; petiolar sinus deep to narrow, closed and sometimes over- 

 lapping; basal sinus very shallow when present; lateral sinus rather shallow, narrow; 

 teeth shallow, of average width. Flowers sometimes on plan of si.x:, sterile, open in mid- 

 season or earlier; stamens reflexed. 



Fruit ripens a few days later than Hartford, does not keep well. Clusters resemble 

 Isabella in general appearance, good size, medium to long, rather broad, irregularly 

 tapering, usually single-shouldered the shoulder often being connected to the cluster by 

 a long stem, loose; peduncle long, rather slender, often with a distinct reddish tinge; 

 pedicel variable in length, thick, usually with no warts, wide at point of attachment to 

 berry; brush intermediate in length, thick, dark wine-color. Berries medium to large, 

 oval, dull black, covered with heavy blue bloom, persistent, rather firm. Skin thick, 

 tough, adheres considerably to the pulp, with a moderate amount of wine-colored 

 pigment, astringent. Flesh pale green, translucent, juicy, very stringy, tender, coarse, 

 somewhat foxy, sweet at skin to tart at center, good in quality. Seeds separate rather 

 easily, one to five in number, average two or three, above medium in size, broad, slightly 

 notched, intermediate in length, blunt, light brown; raphe shows as a narrow groove; 

 chalaza of fair size, at center or slightly above, oval, obscure. 



CROTON. 



(Vinifera, Labrusca, Bourquiniana.) 



r. Am. Jour. Hort., 5:223, 224. 1869. fig. 2. Am. Hort. An., 1870:91, 92. fig. 3. Horti- 

 culturist, 25:275. 1S70. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1871:16. 5. Mich. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1872:546. fig. 

 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1883:57. 7. Bush. Cat., 1883:87. fig. 8. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:528, 545, 

 547. 554- 1898. 9. Ga. Sta. Bui., 53:42, 51. 1901. 



The Croton is a feast both to the eye and the palate. The accompany- 

 ing color-plate does not do it justice as grown at its best, as it shows a 

 loose, straggling bi:nch, a characteristic of the variety only when poorly 

 grown. Unfortunately it has the fault of being difficult to grow well, being 

 adapted to but few soils and proving unfruitful, weak in growth, preca- 

 riously tender, and somewhat subject to mildew and rot in unfavorable 

 situations. But when well grown the consensus of opinion among viti- 

 culturists is that it has few si:periors among white grapes. It has a sweet, 

 delicate Vinifera flavor, with melting flesh which readily separates from the 

 few seeds. The fruit hangs on the vines until frost, and keeps well into 

 the winter. The Croton is among green grapes what its parent, the Dela- 

 ware, is among red grapes. In spite of its high quality it has never become 

 widely distributed, failing utterly as a commercial variety, quality counting 



IS 



