242 



DUTCHESS 



EARLY VICTOR 



222. Dutchess. 



Berries medium to large, oval, dull pale red or dark 

 amber, covered with thin bloom, soft ; skin very thick, 

 tender, adherent, astringent ; flesh green, translucent, 

 juicy, tough, very foxy ; inferior in quality. Seeds ad- 

 herent, 2-5, large, broad, light brown. 



DUTCHESS. Fig. 222. V. Labrusca X ? 

 Dutchess is not grown largely in commercial 

 vineyards because of several faults: the vine 

 is tender to cold; the berries do not ripen 

 evenly ; berries and 

 foliage are susceptible 

 to fungi ; and, in soils 

 to which the variety 

 is not adapted, berries 

 and bunches are small. 

 In spite of these de- 

 fects, Dutchess should 

 not be discarded by 

 the grape-lover, for 

 there are few grapes 

 of higher quality. The 

 grapes are sweet and 

 rich, yet do not cloy 

 the appetite ; although 

 of but medium size, 

 they are attractive, 

 having a beautiful am- 

 ber color with distinc- 

 tive dots; the flesh is 

 translucent, sparkling, 

 fine-grained, and ten- 

 der; the seeds are 

 small, few, and part 

 readily from the pulp ; 

 the skin is thin, yet 

 tough enough for good 

 keeping; and the bunches are large and com- 

 pact when well grown. The variety is self- 

 fertile, and, therefore, desirable when only 

 a few vines are wanted. A. J. Caywood, Marl- 

 boro, New York, grew Dutchess from seed of a 

 white Concord seedling planted in 1868. 



Vine vigorous, an uncertain bearer. Canes dark brown 

 with light bloom, surface roughened ; nodes enlarged, 

 flattened ; internodes short ; tendrils intermittent, short, 

 bifid or trifid. Leaves irregular in outline ; leaf entire 

 with terminus acute ; petiolar sinus narrow ; basal sinus 

 shallow when present ; lateral sinus medium in depth or 

 a mere notch. Flowers self-fertile, open late ; stamens 

 upright. Fruit midseason, keeps and ships well. Clus- 

 ters large, long, slender, tapering with a prominent 

 single shoulder ; pedicel slender, smooth ; brush amber- 

 colored. Berries of medium size, round, pale yellow- 

 green verging on amber, some showing bronze tinge with 

 thin bloom, persistent, firm ; skin sprinkled with small 

 dark dots, thin, tough, adherent ; flesh pale green, 

 translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, vinous, sweet, of 

 pleasant flavor ; quality high. Seeds free, 1, 2 or occa- 

 sionally 3, small, short, sharp-pointed, brown. 



EARLY DAISY. V. Labrusca. The qual- 

 ities of Early Daisy make the variety better 

 than commonplace. Its early fruits commend 

 it, for the ripening period is eight or ten days 

 earlier than that of Champion or Moore Early, 

 making it one of the very earliest sorts. For 

 a variety maturing its crop so early, the grapes 

 both keep and ship well. Early Daisy is 

 quite as desirable as Hartford or Champion, 

 and for a home vineyard more so. The 

 variety originated with John Kready, Mount 

 Joy, Pennsylvania, in 1874. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, produces fair crops. Canes of 

 medium length, numerous, slender, reddish-brown ; nodes 

 enlarged, flattened ; tendrils continuous, bifid. Leaves 

 small, light green ; cobwebby ; lobes wanting or faintly 

 3 ; petiolar sinus deep, narrow ; teeth shallow, narrow. 

 Flowers nearly self-sterile. Fruit early. Clusters small 

 to medium, often blunt at ends, cylindrical, sometimes 

 single-shouldered, compact ; pedicels short, slender, 

 smooth ; brush reddish, slender. Berries of medium size, 

 round, dull black, covered with heavy bloom, persistent ; 

 skin tough, purplish-red pigment ; flesh tough, solid, 

 aromatic, tart at the skin, acid at center ; inferior in 

 flavor and quality. Seeds numerous, adherent, of average 

 size, dark brown. 



EARLY OHIO. V. Labrusca. Early Ohio 

 is remarkable, chiefly, in being one of the 

 earliest commercial grapes. The fruit re- 

 sembles that of Concord, of which it is prob- 

 ably a seedling. Notwithstanding many de- 

 fects, Early Ohio is grown somewhat com- 

 monly, although its culture is on the wane. 

 The variety was found in 1882 by R. A. Hunt, 

 Euclid, Ohio, between rows of Delaware and 

 Concord. 



Vine weak, tender, usually unproductive. Canes short, 

 slender, brown with a red tinge ; nodes enlarged, flat- 

 tened ; internodes short ; tendrils continuous, short, bifid. 

 Leaves intermediate in size ; .lobes wanting or 1-3, 

 terminal one acute ; petiolar sinus shallow, wide ; basal 

 sinus usually absent ; lateral sinus shallow, narrow ; 

 teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, open in midseason ; 

 stamens upright. Fruit very early, does not keep well. 

 Clusters medium in size, tapering ; pedicel slender with 

 a few small warts ; brush slender, tinged with red. 

 Berries variable in size, round, purplish-black, glossy 

 with heavy bloom, persistent, firmj skin adherent, 

 astringent ; flesh green, translucent, juicy, tough, aro- 

 matic ; poor in quality. Seeds adherent, 1-4, notched, 

 brown with yellowish-brown tips. 



EARLY VICTOR. V. Labrusca X V.cesti- 

 valis Bourquiniana. The fruits of Early Victor 

 are highest in quality of early black grapes. 

 They are especially pleasing to those who ob- 

 ject to the foxiness so marked in the product 

 of Hartford and Champion. If the season 

 were but a few days earlier, and bunch and 

 berry a little larger, Early Victor would be 

 the best grape with which to start the season. 

 The vines are hardy, healthy, vigorous, and 

 productive. The bunches are small, compact, 

 variable in shape, and the berries are about 

 the size and shape of those of Delaware. The 

 grapes ripen about the same time as those of 

 Moore Early or a little later, although, like 

 many black grapes, the fruit colors before it 

 is ripe, and is often picked too green. Un- 

 fortunately, the fruit is susceptible to black- 

 rot and shrivels after ripening. John Burr, 

 Leavenworth, Kansas, first grew Early Victor 

 about 1871. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive. Canes 

 long, numerous, slender, dark brown, surface pubescent ; 

 nodes enlarged ; internodes long ; tendrils continuous, 

 bifid, sometimes trifid. Leaves thick ; lobes 3-5, ter- 

 minal one acute ; basal sinus shallow and wide when 

 present ; lateral sinus narrow. Flowers semi-sterile, 

 open in midseason ; stamens upright. Fruit very early, 

 does not keep well. Clusters small, variable in shape, 

 cylindrical, frequently single-shouldered, compact ; pedi- 

 cel short, covered with numerous small warts ; brush 

 wine-colored. Berries small, round, dark purplish-black, 

 dull with heavy bloom, persistent ; skin thin, tough, 

 adherent, contains much red pigment, astringent ; flesh 

 greenish- white, opaque, fine-grained, aromatic, vinous ; 

 good. Seeds adherent, 1-4, broad, notched, blunt, dark 

 brown. 



