THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 237 



many essential characters it falls short of Diamond and the difference in 

 productiveness is not marked. We usually accord Niagara first place 

 among green grapes but Diamond rivals it for the honor. The former 

 attained high rank not only through merit but by much advertisement 

 while Diamond has made its way by merit alone. If we consider the wants 

 of the amateur and of the wine-maker as well as those of the commercial 

 vineyardist, unquestionably Diamond must be accorded a high place 

 among the best all-around grapes. 



Diamond is a diluted hybrid between Vitis labrusca and Vitis 

 vinifcra; the touch of the exotic grape given by the Vinifera parents has 

 been jtist sufficient to give it the richness in flavor of the Old World grape 

 and not overcome the refreshing sprightliness of our native fox grapes. 

 It is without the insipid sweetness of the first or the foxiness of the latter. 

 The Vinifera characters are wholly recessive in vine and foliage, the plant 

 resembling very closely its American parent, Concord. Diamond is not as 

 highly esteemed as a commercial variety as it deserves to be, for beside 

 being of high quality the fruit packs, carries and keeps well. Were it known 

 by consumers the demand for it would be such that it would command a 

 fancy price and thereby more than make up for its lack in fruitfulness, 

 but through the unfortunate condition of American fruit markets it is, more 

 often than not, sold as Niagara and has not therefore established the repu- 

 tation it should have in the markets. Diamond is in demand among wine- 

 makers and especially for the making of champagnes. For the amateur it 

 has few superiors, the chief drawback for the small garden being that 

 robins prefer it to most other varieties and greatly reduce the crop. Dia- 

 mond is well established in Canada and can be grown iia as great a range 

 of latitude as the Concord. The vine is as free from the attacks of fungi 

 as the Concord but the fruit is a little more susceptible to cryptogamic 

 diseases and especially to black-rot, though not attacked by fungi so much 

 as Niagara. 



The late Jacob Moore of Brighton, New York, originated Diamond 

 about 1870 from Concord seed fertilized by lona. It was introduced about 

 1885. It has gained in favor somewhat slowly, and was not placed on 

 the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog until 

 1897. 



