300 THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 



HYBRID FRANC. 



(Vinifera, Rupestris.) 



I. Am. Vines, 1903:1^0. 

 Franc's Hybrid (i). 



Hybrid Franc is illustrated and described in full in The Grapes of New 

 York because it is the best known cross between Rupestris and Vinifera. 

 It is one of the few varieties used in Europe as a resistant stock now recom- 

 mended for a direct producer. The vine characters are seemingly all good, — 

 hardy, vigorous and very productive. The fruit is fit only for wine being 

 too acid for a table grape. The coloring matter in the fruit is very intense 

 and it might be used for giving color to wines. Hybrid Franc is of much 

 interest to the grape-breeder, and experiments with it as a parent are 

 desirable for New York. The variety is of French origin. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes variable in length, numerous, thick to 

 medium, light brown, covered with slight blue bloom; nodes enlarged, roundish; inter- 

 nodes very short; diaphragm thin; pith unusually large; shoots glabrous; tendrils 

 intermittent, often rather long, bifid to trifid. 



Leaf-buds large to medium, short, above average thickness, obtuse to conical, open 

 moderately late. Young leaves tinged on upper and lower sides with carmine; the 

 tips of the buds in opening show strongly the leaf serrations. Leaves very small to 

 medium, rather thin; upper surface light green, decidedly glossy, smooth; lower surface 

 greenish, showing Riparia characters, quite hairy along ribs and larger veins; lobes 

 usually three to five with terminal lobe acute to acuminate ; petiolar sinus intermediate 

 in depth, narrow to medium, sometimes closed and overlapping; basal sinus of average 

 depth and width ; lateral sinus medium in depth to a mere notch ; teeth intermediate 

 in depth and width. Flowers semi-fertile, open early ; stamens upright. 



Fruit ripens before mid-season, does not always keep well. Clusters medium to 

 below in size, short, intermediate in breadth, tapering to cylindrical, usually single- 

 shouldered, average three bunches per shoot, medium to compact; peduncle below 

 medium length, rather slender; pedicel long, slender, covered with few, small, incon- 

 spicuous warts; brush short, wine-colored. Berries below medium to small, uniform, 

 slightly oblate to roundish, black, glossy, covered with thick, blue bloom, persistent, 

 firm. Skin thin, tender, does not adhere to the pulp, contains a very dark wine-colored 

 pigment, not astringent. Flesh pale green, often with a slight reddish tinge, translu- 

 cent, juicy, fine-grained, somewhat tender, spicy, tart to acid, fair in quality. Seeds 

 separate easily from the pulp, one to five, average three and four, medium to small, 

 rather short, intermediate in breadth, light brown; raphe obscure; chalaza of average 

 size, slightly above center, oval to pear-shaped, distinct. 



