THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 243 



Its high quality, handsome appearance, and excellence as a keeper, 

 make it desirable in all regions where the climate is sufficiently temperate 

 to allow it to withstand the winter and to develop in full its admirable 

 fruit characters. Added to the above qualities are fair vigor and health 

 of vine, while with its defects must be mentioned late ripening and suscep- 

 tibility to mildew in unfavorable seasons. When grown in most parts of 

 New York the vine of Downing should be laid down in the winter or receive 

 other protection. In most seasons, too, unremitting warfare must be kept 

 up with bordeaux mixture to check mildew. In appearance of bunch and 

 berry Do^vning is one of the most distinct of our varieties, the clusters 

 being large and well formed and the berries having the long oval shape 

 of a Malaga with a delicate light bloom. The flesh, too, shows Vitis vinijera 

 in texture as well as quality whUe neither seeds nor skins are as objection- 

 able as in the best of our pure-bred American varieties. Few amateurs 

 realize the richness of our cultivated grape-flora or the garden would be 

 supplied by other varieties than Concord, Niagara and Delaware and of 

 these Downing would be one. 



J. H. Ricketts of Newburgh, New York, originated Downing some time 

 about 1865. It is one of the first of Ricketts' hybrids and was first known 

 as Ricketts' No. i. The parentage is variously given as Isabella fertilized 

 by Muscat Hamburg, Croton fertilized by Black Hamburg, and Israella 

 fertilized by Muscat Hamburg.' The last combination is that given by 

 J. G. Burrows of Fishkill, New York, who was connected with J. H. Ricketts 

 in his work and who introduced Downing in 1883; hence it is probably 

 correct. Ricketts thought highly of this variet}'^ and gave it the name of 

 America's great pomologist, Charles Downing. 



Vine variable in vigor, usually winter-kills somewhat, not very productive, 

 especially where it winter-kills. Canes short, few, rather slender, nearly dark green 

 to slightly ash-gray tinge, surface covered with thin blue bloom, often roughened with 

 few small warts; nodes much enlarged, strongly flattened; intemodes medium to short; 

 diaphragm rather thick; pith large to medium; shoots glabrous; tendrils intermittent, 

 of average length, bifid to trifid. 



' After the above was in type we received a communication from Ricketts stating that Downing 

 came from seed of Concord fertilized by Muscat Hamburg, li this is true it is difficult to account 

 for the apparent Aestivalis characters. 



