THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. ^yr 



Charles Arnold of Paris, Brant Count)-, Ontario, produced Othello 

 from seed of Clinton fertilized by Black Hamburg. The seed was planted 

 in 1859 and the variety was sent out for testing about ten )-ears later. 

 There seems considerable doubt whether Arnold's Clinton was the same as 

 the variety known under that name in the United States, but if not, it was 

 similar. Assuming that Arnold's is the well known Clinton, Othello is 

 descended from Labrusca, Riparia and Vinifera. The characters of the 

 three species are shown in the variety. The foxy flavor, the tomentum of 

 the leaf, the pulpy flesh, and the usually continuous tendrils are all from 

 Labrusca. Riparia is revealed in the long, slender canes, the resistance to 

 phylloxera and the shallow, spreading root system. There are but few of 

 the characters of Black Hamburg, the Vinifera parent, to be found and yet 

 the much lobed leaf, the cluster, the oval berry and the flavor indicate the 

 Old World grape and make fairly certain the triple origin. 



Vines vigorous, hardy, usually productive, slightly susceptible to attacks of mildew 

 in some locaHties. Canes long, intermediate in number and size, light to dark brown; 

 nodes enlarged, frequently strongly flattened; internodes medium to below in length; 

 diaphragm of average thickness; pith intermediate in size; shoots pubescent; tendrils 

 continuous, sometimes intermittent, of medium length, bifid to trifid. 



Leaf-buds intermediate in size, length and width, conical to nearly obtuse. Leaves 

 of average size and thickness ; upper surface light green, dull and smooth ; lower surface 

 pale green, pubescent ; lobes three to five with terminal lobe acute to obtuse ; petiolar 

 sinus deep to medium, very narrow, frequently closed and overlapping; basal sinus 

 shallow, narrow; lateral sinus deep to medium, not wide; teeth medium to very deep, 

 rather wide; stamens upright. 



Fruit ripens late, keeps fairly well. Clusters very large to above medium, long, 

 broad, tapering, frequently with a loose single shoulder, two to three bunches per shoot, 

 compact; peduncle medium to long, intennediate in thickness; pedicel nearly long, 

 medium to slender, covered with numerous small warts, enlarged at point of attachment 

 to fruit; brush very short, wine-colored. Berries large to medium, oval to roundish, 

 black, glossy, covered with abundant blue bloom, very persistent, intermediate in firm- 

 ness. Skin thin, tough, adheres strongly to the pulp, contains a moderate amount of 

 bright colored red pigment, without astringency. Flesh dark green, very juicy, fine- 

 grained, slightly tough, sprightly, low in quality for table use. Seeds separate somewhat 

 easily from the pulp, one to three in number, medium to below in size, of average length 

 and breadth, with neck sometimes sHghtly swollen, brownish; raphe usually distinct; 

 chalaza small, above center, oval to circular, not obscure. 



