340 THE GRAPES OF XEW YORK. 



The fruit colors early in the season but ripens very late, hanging well 

 on the vines and improving with a light touch of frost. Marion is not 

 -much grown in New York as a wine grape, though it might prove of value 

 because of its coloring properties for the making of some wines. 



This variety was brought to notice by a Mr. Shepherd of Marion, 

 Ohio, over fifty years ago. It was first known as Black German but this 

 name was changed to Marion Port. At about the same time, Nicholas 

 Longworth received a variety resembling the Isabella from Marion, Ohio, 

 probably also from Shepherd, which he disseminated under the name 

 Marion. Owing to the similarity of the names, the two varieties became 

 badly confused. The true Marion, which many believed to be identical 

 with York Madeira, was soon dropped from cultivation and the Marion 

 Port assumed the name of Marion. Shepherd did not know where the 

 Marion Port had originated but stated that it had come originally from 

 Pennsylvania. It is quite possible that it is some old variety reintro- 

 duced under this name. The species of the variety is usually given as 

 Riparia but as the tendrils are often continuous, there is evidently an 

 admixture of Labrusca blood. 



Vine vigorous, usually hardy, medium to productive, susceptible to injury- from 

 leaf-hoppers. Canes very long, intermediate in number and thickness, dark reddish- 

 brown, surface covered v.-;th blue bloom; nodes slightly enlarged, flattened; intemodes 

 very long to medium ; diaphragm thin ; pith of average size ; shoots glabrous, younger 

 shoots tinged with reddish-purple; tendrils continuous, sometimes intermittent, long. 

 bifid. 



Leaf-buds nearly medium in size and thickness, short, conical, often strongly com- 

 pressed, open early ; young leaves tinged on under side and along margin of upper side 

 with cannine. Leaves unusually large, of average thickness; upper surface dark green, 

 glossy; lower surface pale green, somewhat cobwebby to nearly smooth; veins well 

 defined; leaf not lobed with terminus acuminate; petiolar sinus ver>- deep, narrow, 

 often closed and overlapping; basal and lateral sinuses lacking; teeth shallow, rather 

 wide. Flowers sterile, open very early; stamens reflexed. 



Fruit ripens in mid-season, keeps fairly well. Clusters medium to below, short 

 and slender, cylindrical to tapering, single-shouldered, compact; peduncle short, inter- 

 mediate in thickness; pedicel short, slender, covered with few, inconspicuous warts; 

 brush very short, wine-colored. Berries medium to small, roundish, black, slightly 

 glossy, covered with abundant blue bloom, persistent, firm. Skin medium to thin, 

 rather tough, adheres slightlj- to the pulp, contains much dark wine-colored pigment. 



