THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 347 



of wine-colored pigment, astringent. Flesh light green, translucent, juicy, moderately 

 fine-grained, medium tender, stringy, with little or no aroma, good in quality. Seeds 

 rather adherent, one to five, average four, somewhat large and broad, long to medium, 

 frequently with enlarged neck, brownish ; raphe sometimes shows as a narrow cord ; 

 chalaza of average size, plainly above center, distinct. 



MILLS. 



(Labnisca, Vinifera.) 



I. Horticulturist, 30:93. 1875. 2. Rural X. Y.. 47:144, 146. fig. 1888. 3. Can. Hort., 

 11:102. 103. fig. 1888. 4. Ohio Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1888-9:107. 5. Kan. Sta. Bui.. 14:89. 1890. 

 6. 76.. 28:160. 1891. 7. .V. Y. Sta. An. Rpt.. 12:621. 1893. 8. Rural .V. Y., 53:6. 1894. 

 9. Bush. Cat.. 1894:135. 10. Rural X. Y., 54:715. 779, 795. 1895. 11. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 

 iSgT-K). 12. .V. Y. Sta. .An. Rpt., 17:533. 548, 556, 559. 1898. 13. Mich. Sta. Bui, 169:173. 

 1899. 14. Gj. Sta. Bui., 53:46, 51. 1901. 



Probably none of the commonly cultivated grapes varies more under 

 different cultural conditions than Mills. It is chiefly from this fact that 

 viticulturists are so diverse in their opmions of it, some claiming that it 

 is among our best grapes and others pronouncing it almost worthless. 

 Mills grown in the vineyards of this Station is one of the half dozen 

 best out of 270 varieties in its fruit characters. The bunches and berries 

 are large and well-formed, the berries being a handsome black with bluish 

 bloom and adhering so firmly to the stem that the fruit may be left until 

 April without shelling. The berries are firm and solid, with the skin adherent 

 to the pulp almost as in the Viniferas, and with the same texture of flesh as 

 in Black Hamburg. The flesh, despite the solidity, is juicy and parts readily 

 from the seeds. Its flavor is rich, sweet, vinous, with a trace of muskiness. 

 The grapes are hardly surpassed in keeping quality and seldom if ever 

 crack or shatter. The season is a little earlier than Concord. 



But when we have described its fruit characters, practically all that 

 can be is said in its favor. The vines are of only medium vigor, are not 

 hardy, are fruitful only under the most favorable conditions, and are very 

 subject to mildew. In New York neither wood nor roots ripen well in the 

 average season and the variet\' is a most difficult one for nurserymen to 

 handle. That it succeeds only on certain soils is known but data are not 

 at hand to determine what conditions of soil suit it best. The soil on 

 which the vines of this Station are growing is a rather heavy, rich clay 

 and Mills makes a very fair growth here. The variety is of doubtful 



