THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK 319 



pollinated with lona. It fruited for the first time in 1874 and was intro- 

 duced about 1880. In 1881 it was placed on the grape list of the American 

 Pomological Society fruit catalog and has never been removed. Of all the 

 remarkable seedlings raised by Ricketts the Jefferson is best known and 

 most widely disseminated. The variety won for its originator the Wilder 

 silver medal and as grown by him seldom failed to take premiums at exhi- 

 bitions where shown. It is greatly to be regretted that the variety does 

 not have all of the characters requisite to adapt it to culture in commercial 

 vineyards. 



Vine normally vigorous, healthy, not always hardy, medium in productiveness. 

 Canes short, numerous, about medium in thickness, light to dark brown; nodes enlarged, 

 roundish; intemodes short; diaphragm thick; pith medium to below in size; shoots 

 heavily pubescent; tendrils intermittent, medium to short, bifid to trifid. 



Leaf-buds small, short, slender, pointed to conical, open very late. Young leaves 

 tinged on under side and along margin of upper side with rose carmine. Leaves healthy, 

 above medium to small, of average thickness; upper surface light green, medium to 

 rugose on older leaves; lower surface very pale green, strongly pubescent; veins distinct; 

 leaf usually not lobed with terminus acute; petiolar sinus of mean depth, narrow to 

 wide, sometimes closed and overlapping; basal sinus usually absent; lateral sinus shal- 

 low, often a mere notch; teeth regular, shallow, of average width. Flowers nearly fully 

 self-fertile, open late; stamens upright. 



Fruit ripens late, usually about with Catawba, keeps and ships well. Clusters 

 large to medium, intermediate in length and width, cylindrical to slightly tapering, 

 usually single-shouldered, but sometimes double-shouldered, medium to compact; 



fine flavor attracted universal and favorable attention and made him the recipient of many medals 

 and prizes. Unfortunately Ricketts, like many other American grape-breederi, fell into financial 

 difficulties, and in 1877 lost his vineyard and home by foreclosure. In 18S8, he moved to Washing- 

 tion, D. C, to work at his trade but has again started to improve grapes and is now growing a num- 

 ber of new varieties which will probably be shown to the public in the near future. 



Ricketts' seedlings are characterized by a large size of bunch and berry, and by high quality. 

 Unfortunately it has been the experience of growers in nearly all grape regions that the vine charac- 

 ters of his varieties are not equal to those of the fruit, the vines being subject to mildew and other 

 Vinifera weaknesses. However, Ricketts produced magnificent specimens of his grapes, year after 

 year, under conditions which every one admits were less favorable than those of the average grape- 

 grower. The secret of his success seems never to have been discovered. This anomaly is so striking 

 that Campbell did not hesitate to suggest that the fault was with the American grape-grower rather 

 than with Ricketts' grapes or the location of the vineyard. The best known of his varieties are: 

 Advance, Bacchus, Don Juan. Downing, Eldorado, Empire State, Highland, Jefiferson, Lady Wash- 

 ington and Secretary. Besides these he produced many others, some of which were named but many 

 of which were known only under numbers. 



