DIAMOND 



DRACUT AMBER 



241 



its ample and lustrous green, delicately formed 

 leaves, which make it one of the most orna- 

 mental of grapes. Delaware can be traced to 

 the garden of Paul H. Provost, Frenchtown, 

 New Jersey, where it was growing early in the 

 nineteenth century, whence it was taken to 

 Delaware, Ohio, in 1849. 



Vine weak, hardy, productive. Canes short, numerous, 

 slender, dark brown ; nodes enlarged ; internodes short ; 

 tendrils intermittent, short, bifid. Leaves small ; lobes 

 3-5 in number, terminal one acute ; petiolar sinus nar- 

 row ; basal sinus narrow and shallow when present ; 

 lateral sinus deep, narrow ; teeth shallow. Flowers self- 

 fertile, open late ; stamens upright. Fruit early, keeps 

 well. Clusters small, slender, blunt, cylindrical, regu- 

 lar, shouldered, compact ; pedicel short, slender, smooth ; 

 brush light brown. Berries uniform in size and shape, 

 small, round, light red, covered with thin bloom, per- 

 sistent, firm ; skin thin, tough, adherent, unpigmented, 

 astringent ; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, tender, 

 aromatic, vinous, refreshing, sweet ; best in quality. 

 Seeds free, 1-4, broad, notched, short, blunt, light 

 brown. 



DIAMOND. V. Labrusca X V. yinifera. 

 Few other grapes surpass Diamond in qual- 

 ity and beauty of fruit. When to its desirable 

 fruit-characters are added hardiness, produc- 

 tiveness, and vigor of vine, the variety is sur- 

 passed by no other green grape. Diamond is 

 a diluted hybrid between Labrusca and Vini- 

 fera, and the touch of the exotic grape is just 

 sufficient to give the fruits the richness in 

 flavor of the Old World grape without over- 

 coming the refreshing sprightliness of the na- 

 tive fox-grapes. The plant resembles closely 

 that of its American parent, Concord. 

 Diamond can be grown in as great a range 

 of latitude as Concord. Jacob Moore, 

 Brighton, New York, grew Diamond about 

 1870 from Concord seed fertilized by lona. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes short, brown 

 with a slight tinge of red ; nodes enlarged ; internodes 

 short ; tendrils intermittent, bifid. Leaves thick ; lobes 

 3, indistinct ; petiolar sinus very shallow ; teeth shallow. 

 Flowers self-fertile, open early ; stamens upright. Fruit 

 early, keeps well. Clusters medium to short, broad, 

 blunt, cylindrical, often single-shouldered, compact 

 pedicel short, thick with a few inconspicuous warts 

 brush slender, pale green. Berries large, ovate, green 

 with a tinge of yellow, glossy, covered with thin bloom 

 persistent, firm ; skin thin, tough, adherent, astringent 

 flesh pale green, transparent, juicy, tender, melting, fine- 



f rained, aromatic, sprightly ; very good. Seeds free, 

 -4, broad and long, sharp-pointed, yellowish-brown. 



DIANA. V. Labrusca X V. vinifera. Diana 

 is a seedling of Catawba, to which its fruits 

 bear strong resemblance, differing chiefly in 

 having lighter color, in being less pulpy and 

 more juicy. The chief point of superiority 

 of Diana over Catawba is its earliness, as the 

 crop ripens ten days sooner, making possible 

 its culture far to the north. The defects of 

 Diana are: the vine is tender in cold winters; 

 the grapes ripen unevenly; the berries and 

 foliage are susceptible to fungi; and the vine 

 is a shy bearer. Diana demands poor, dry, 

 gravelly soil without much humus or nitrogen. 

 On clays, loams, or rich soils the vines make 

 a rank growth, and the fruits are few, late, and 

 of poor quality. The vine needs to be long 

 pruned and to have all surplus bunches re- 

 moved, leaving a small crop to mature. Mrs. 



Diana Crehore, Milton, Massachusetts, grew 

 Diana from seed of Catawba, planted about 

 1834. 



Vine vigorous, doubtfully hardy, often unproductive. 

 Canes pubescent, long, reddish-brown, covered with 

 thin bloom ; nodes enlarged, flattened ; internodes long ; 

 tendrils intermittent, long, bifid. Leaves large, thick ; 

 lobes 3-5, terminal one acute ; petiolar sinus deep, wide, 

 often closed and overlapping ; basal sinus shallow ; 

 lateral sinus narrow ; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, 

 open in midseason ; stamens upright. Fruit late, keeps 

 well. Clusters large, broad, tapering, occasionally 

 shouldered, compact ; pedicel covered with small warts ; 

 brush slender, pale green. Berries medium in size, 

 slightly ovate, light red covered with thin bloom, per- 

 sistent, firm ; skin thick, tough, slightly adherent ; flesh 

 pale green, translucent, juicy, tough, fine-grained, 

 vinous ; good. Seeds adherent, 1-3, light brown. 



DOWNING. V. Labrusca X V. vinifera. 

 Downing is well worthy of a place in the 

 garden because of the high quality, handsome 

 appearance, and good keeping qualities of the 

 grapes. Added to these qualities of the fruits 

 are fair vigor and health of vine. When grown 

 as far north as New York, the vine should 

 be laid down in the winter or receive other 

 protection. In most seasons, unremitting war- 

 fare must be kept up to check mildew. In 

 appearance of bunch and berry, Downing is 

 distinct, the clusters being large and well- 

 formed, and the berries having the oval shape 

 of a Malaga. The flesh, also, shows V. vinifera 

 in texture and quality, while neither seeds nor 

 skins are so objectionable as in pure-bred 

 American varieties. J. H. Ricketts, Newburgh, 

 New York, first grew Downing about 1865. 



Vine tender to cold, unproductive. Canes short, few, 

 slender, dark green with an ash-gray tinge, surface 

 covered with thin bloom, often roughened with a few 

 small warts ; nodes much enlarged, strongly flattened ; 

 internodes short ; tendrils intermittent, bifid or trifid. 

 Leaves small, round, thick ; lobes 1-5, terminal lobe 

 acute ; petiolar sinus narrow, closed and overlapping ; 

 basal sinus shallow and narrow when present ; lateral 

 sinus shallow, narrow ; teeth wide, deep. Flowers open 

 late; stamens upright. Fruit late, keeps until spring. 

 Clusters large, long, slender, cylindrical, sometimes 

 loosely shouldered ; pedicel slender, green. Berries 

 large, markedly oval, dark purplish-black, glossy, cov- 

 ered with light bloom, strongly persistent, firm ; skin 

 thick, tender, adherent ; flesh green with a yellow 

 tinge, translucent, very juicy, tender, fine-grained, 

 vinous, mild ; very good in quality. Seeds free, 1-3, 

 notched, long, brown. 



DRACUT AMBER. V. Labrusca. Dracut 

 Amber is representative of the red type of 

 Labrusca. The fruit has no particular merit; 

 its thick skin, coarse pulp, seeds, and foxy 

 taste all are objectionable. However, the vine 

 is very hardy and productive, and ripens its 

 fruit early, so that this variety becomes val- 

 uable in locations where a vigorous, hardy, 

 early grape is wanted. Asa Clement, Dracut, 

 Massachusetts, grew Dracut Amber from seed 

 planted about 1855. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, nu- 

 merous, dark brown ; nodes enlarged, flattened ; tendrils 

 continuous, long, bifid or trifid. Leaves large, thick ; 

 lobes 3-5, with terminal one obtuse ; petiolar sinus 

 deep, narrow ; basal sinus shallow, wide ; teeth shallow. 

 Flowers on plan of 6, semi-fertile, midseason. Fruit 

 early, season short. Clusters short, broad, cylindrical, 

 irregular, rarely shouldered, compact ; pedicel short, 

 covered with warts ; brush long, light yellowish-green. 



