THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 267 



these are susceptibility to mildew, sterile flowers, and difficulty in propaga- 

 tion. Unquestionably the latter character has greatly hindered its culture, 

 as the vines can be had only at extra expense and nurserymen are loath to 

 grow it at all. Eumelan can at least be recommended to amateur growers 

 and for the garden and it is well worth further trial by grape-growers. 



Eumelan is a chance seedling which grew from seed about 1847 in the 

 yard of a Mr. Thorne at Fishkill Landing, New York. About i860 it fell 

 into the hands of Dr. C. W. Grant of lona Island and was introduced by 

 him in 1867. By some it is supposed to be a seedling of Isabella. Bush 

 gives the species as Aestivalis. Munson states, however, that he can see 

 nothing in it but Labrusca and Vinifera. Labrusca seems to be indi- 

 cated very plainly by the texture of the fruit and by the seeds, Vinifera 

 possibly by a general appearance of the vine difficult to define and also by 

 the tendency to mildew. Besides this, however, there are the bluish bloom 

 on shoots and canes, the pigment beneath the skin, the spicy taste in the 

 berries, and the difficulty of propagation from cuttings, all of which are 

 difficult to account for except by recognizing the presence of Aestivalis 

 or Bicolor blood. 



Vine vigorous to medium, hardy, medium to productive, inclined to mildew. Canes 

 intermediate in length, numerous, of average thickness, covered with considerable blue 

 bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; intemodes short to medium; diaphragm thick; pith 

 about medium size; shoots glabrous; tendrils intermittent, rather long, trifid to bifid. 



Leaf-buds large, long, rather thick, conspicuous, obtuse to conical, open in mid- 

 season. Young leaves heavily tinged on under side and lightly tinged along margin of 

 upper side with bright carmine. Leaves medium to large, of average thickness; upper 

 surface rather dark green, glossy, smooth to medium; lower surface pale green, not 

 pubescent; veins distinct; lobes usually three in number with terminal lobe acute to 

 acuminate; petiolar sinus medium to deep, variable in width; basal sinus usually lacking; 

 lateral sinus shallow to medium, rather narrow or often a mere notch; teeth inclined 

 to shallow, usually above medium in width. Flowers sterile, open in mid-season; 

 stamens reflexed. 



Fruit ripens before mid-season, keeps frequently until late winter. Clusters of 

 average size, long to medium, rather slender, slightly tapering to cylindrical, often 

 with a long, loose, single shoulder, variable in compactness; peduncle medium to long, 

 of average size; pedicel somewhat short, rather slender, covered with few small warts, 

 wide at point of attachment to fruit; brush short, stubby, pale green. Berries medium 

 in size, roundish to frequently compressed, black, glossy, covered with abundant blue 



