22 Grape Breeding 



and size of bunch increased for three years or more, at the end 

 of which time it is possible to determine the value of a seedling. 

 There are always some vines that are pure males and as soon as 

 this is determined they are destroyed. 



Only one seedling of promise has appeared thus far. It is a 

 Concord seedling pollinated with Delaware. This vine is now 

 seven years old but was transplanted when three years old and 

 suffered greatly as a result, This is designated in this dissertation 

 as No. 6. This vine had never been sprayed until 1922, when, 

 it was sprayed with the rest of the vineyard. 



The plant is a strong grower but produces a slender vine with 

 short internodes. The color of the bark on the young wood is 

 rather distinctive, being a peculiar grayish color as if slightly 

 mildewed. The foliage is ample but the leaf is not large. In 

 outline and color it resembles the foliage of Concord. 



Experiments show that this grape roots easily from ordinary 

 hard wood cuttings, but the cuttings should be made rather early 

 in the fall as the newly formed wood at the tips of the vine suffers 

 from the winter, often killing back two or three feet. Otherwise 

 the vine is hardy. 



The vine is unusually productive, the blossoms being perfect 

 and apparently self-fertile. The clusters are of medium size 

 and vary somewhat in shape, though they are mostly slightly 

 shouldered. The berry is black, or blue-black, closely resembling 

 Concord in color. The size is still increasing but is not yet so 

 large as Concord, though larger than the old and well known 

 Clinton. The flavor is exceptionally good, resembling that of 

 Deleware. The skin is unusually thin though it shows no ten- 

 dency to crack. 



The ripening period has not yet been fully determined. When 

 it bore its first fruit it ripened with Moore's Early, and the follow- 

 ing season it was ready to eat as early as Lutie and Green Moun- 

 tain. In 1922 the fruit ripened only a week earlier than Concord, 

 and fully ten days later than either Lutie or Green Mountain. 



This grape has not shown the least susceptibility to rot or mil- 

 dew of any kind, and has always produced well filled bunches 

 until the present season, 1922, when in common with other varie- 

 ties many of the flowers failed to set fruit, doubtless because of 

 the almost continuous rains at blossoming time. * 



Several other seedlings show vigor and disease resistance 

 but have not as yet produced fruit, or if fruit has been produced, 

 the quality is inferior. 



* This grape has since shown acceptability to black rot, though it is more resistant than 

 Concord. 



