THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 



345 



were disseminated for testing. The man who had originated the variety, 

 for fear of being besieged by amateur grape cultivators, never allowed his 

 name to become known. Maxatawne\- was placed on the American Pomo- 

 logical Society list of sorts recommended for cultivation in 1862, but was 

 dropped in 1897. From the first it has been recognized that Maxatawney 

 shows Vinifera blood. Some have even gone so far as to say that it is a 

 derivative, in part, from Malaga. It does not appear, however, that such 

 preciseness is justified. The vine shows the continuous tendrils and the 

 thick, pubescent leaf of Labrusca. In the lobing of the leaves, the 

 susceptibility to mildew, the oval berries, the vinous flavor, and the 

 appearance of occasional seeds, one can detect the characters of Vinifera. 



Vine medium to vigorous, not always hardy, variable in productiveness. Canes 

 medium to above in length, of average number, slender to medium; tendrils continuous, 

 bifid. Leaves medium to large, dark green, thick; lower surface grayish-white with 

 tinge of bronze, heavily pubescent. Flowers sterile or nearly so, some blossoms imper- 

 fectly self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright. Fruit ripens after Concord, 

 in some seasons fully as late as Catawba, keeps fairly well. Clusters small to above 

 medium, often short and slender, cylindrical, occasionally with a small single shoulder, 

 rather open to fairly compact. Berries variable in size, oval, not uniform in color, pale 

 red or dull greenish with amber tinge, covered with thin gray bloom, persistent. Skin 

 medium in thickness, often very tough, astringent. Flesh slightly tender, fo.xy, sweet 

 at skin to tart at center, good to very good in quality. Seeds few, separate easily from 

 the pulp, large, of medium length, very broad, blunt. Must 76°. 



MERRIMAC. 



(Labrusca, Vinifera.) 



1. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1860:86. 2. Gar. Moit., 6:33, 140, 276, 277. fig. 1864. 3. Mass. 

 Hort. Soc. Rpl., 1865:40. 4. -V. Y. Ag. Soc. Rpl., 1865:339. fig. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1867: 

 44. 6. Fuller, 1867:229, 230. 7. HorticuUiirist, 24:126. 1869. 8. Am. Jour. Hort., 5:263. 

 1869. 9. Grap Cult., 1:181, 239, 327. 1869. 10. Mich. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1875:397. fig. ii. 

 Bush. Cat., 1883:121. 12. Mich. Sta. Bui., 7:133. 1885. 13. Ark. Sta. Bui., 39:32. i8g6. 

 14. Tenn. Sta. Bui., Vol. 9:184. 1896. 15. Tex. Sta. But.. 48:1150, 1159. 1898. 16. .V. V. 

 Sta. An. Rpt., 17:533. 54i, 544. 548, 556. 1898. 



Rogers' Xo. 19 (i, 2, 3. 4, 5. 6). Rogers' Xo. 19 (7, 8, 9. 10, 11, 13). 



Merrimac is accredited by some grape-growers as the best black grape 

 among Rogers' hybrids, but an analysis of the characters of the several 

 black varieties produced by Rogers seems to show that it is surpassed 

 at least by Wilder and Herbert and possibly by Barry. The attributes 



