THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 251 



Early Victor is especially worthy of notice because it is highest in 

 quality of the very early black grapes. When one tastes this variety at the 

 beginning of the graj^e season, he has no palate for Hartford, Champion, 

 Ives, Janesville, or even Moore Early, and he will be conscious of defects 

 in the flavor of many of the later grapes which are supposed to have high 

 quality. Early Victor is especially pleasing to those who want a pure- 

 flavored grape and object to the foxiness of our native varieties so marked 

 in Hartford and Champion but almost wholly lacking in this variety. 

 Were it but a few days earlier and bunch and berry a little larger and more 

 attractive, Earl}- Victor might be the grape par excellence for home and 

 market to begin the grape season. The vines are hardy, healthy, vig- 

 orous, and productive, with growth and foliage greatly resembling Hart- 

 ford, which is probably one of its parents, Delaware being the other. The 

 bunches are small and compact and somewhat variable in shape ; the berries 

 are about the size and shape of those of Delaware. Its season is that 

 of Moore Early and Hartford, or a little later, though, like many black 

 grapes, it colors before it is ripe and is often picked much too green. Unfor- 

 tunately the fruit is susceptible to black-rot and a little inclined to shrivel 

 after ripening. Although introduced into American viticulture in 1881, 

 Early Victor is still little known and deserves far more general recognition 

 both by the amateur and the commercial grape-grower. 



John Burr,' of Leavenworth, Kansas, originated Early Victor about 

 1 87 1 and sent it out for testing in 188 1. It was placed on the grape list of 

 the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1883 and is still retained. 



' John Burr was bom in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1800. In early life he removed to Ohio- 

 where, although he was engaged in mercantile pursuits, he passed his leisure time in experimenting 

 with strawberries. In this work he was quite successful, producing Burr's Pine and Burr's Seedling, 

 once popular sorts. In 1858 Burr moved to Kansas and soon after began breeding grapes. For this 

 work he was a believer in natural pollination and planted the varieties which he desired to use as 

 parents in close pro.ximity that they might pollinate each other. Burr at first used Concord, Hart- 

 ford, Isabella, and other grapes of this class as parents, but later he destroyed all of the seedlings 

 of these and used Delaware, Goethe, Salem, Catawba, and other Vinifera hybrids. He did not take 

 trouble to note from which variety the seed came but mi.xed and planted all together. The records 

 of the parentage of his productions are consequently usually unsatisfactory. Most of his grape 

 productions were introduced to the public by Stayman & Black, a nearby nursery firm. Of Burr's 

 many seedlings he gave names to the following: Cochee, Early Victor, Eclipse, Evaline, Ideal, lola' 

 Jewel, M.ignate, Matchless. Mendota, Omega. Osage, Osee, Paragon, Peola. Primate, Pulaskv, Seneca. 

 Superior, Standard, Supreme, and White jewel. Burr died at his home in Leavenworth, Kansas, 

 in 1893. 



