244 THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 



Leaf-buds intermediate in size and thickness, short, obtuse to nearly conical, open 

 very late. Leaves medium to small, roundish, thick; upper surface dark green, slightly 

 glossy, rugose ; lower surface rather deep green with almost no pubescence ; veins some- 

 what distinct; lobes none to five, tenninal lobe acute; petiolar sinus of medium depth, 

 very narrow, closed and overlapping; basal sinus usually lacking but shallow and nar- 

 row when present; lateral sinus shallow to medium, narrow; teeth above average in 

 width and depth. Flowers open late; stamens upright. 



Fruit ripens a little later than Concord, often keeps until spring. Clusters large, 

 long, rather slender, cylindrical to slightly tapering, uniform, sometimes loosely shoul- 

 dered, variable in compactness; peduncle short to medium, inclined to thick; pedicel 

 intermediate in length, slender, covered with numerous warts; brush long, slender, 

 greenish. Berries large to medium, distinctly oval, dark purplish-black, glossy, covered 

 with light blue bloom, strongly persistent, almost firm. Skin very thick, tender, adheres 

 considerably to the pulp, contains almost no pigment, without astringency. Flesh 

 greenish or with slight yellow tinge, translucent, very juicy, tender, fine-grained, vinous, 

 mild, ver}' good in quality. The few seeds separate easily from the pulp, one to three, 

 average two, intermediate in size and breadth, strongly notched, rather long, brownish; 

 raphe obscure ; chalaza of mean size, surface frequently roughened, above center, circu- 

 lar to oval, variable in distinctness. 



DRACUT AMBER. 



(Labrusca.) 



J. U.S. Pat. Off. Rpt., 1850:48, 66. 2. Gar. Mon., 3:26. 1861. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1883:26. 

 4. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 11:620. 1892. 5. Imua Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1893:161. 6. Bush. Cat., 1894:117. 

 7. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:548, 554. 1898. 8. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1899:28. 



Early Amber (6). 



Dracut Amber receives the attention given it here chiefly because it 

 is a representative variety of the northern Labrusca and of the red type of 

 Labrusca. The fruit has no particular merit, its thick skin, coarse pulp, 

 seeds and rank foxy taste all being objectionable. But the vine is very 

 hardy and productive, and the fruit ripens early making it valuable in the 

 northern limits of viticulture and in other locations where a vigorous, hardy 

 early grape is wanted. It is of no value for the market or for wine-making 

 and therefore of use only for the home in the far North, though the fact 

 that it does not keep well is still further against it for this purpose. The 

 variety is of interest to the breeder who desires a red Labrusca of the north- 

 em type. 



Asa Clement of Dracut, Massachusetts, originated Dracut Amber from 



