244 



EMPIRE STATE 



FEHER SZAGOS 



224. Empire 

 State. (X%) 



Vine strong, healthy and productive. Leaves very 

 large, with 5 shallow lobes ; teeth short and obtuse ; 

 light green in color, glabrous above, woolly beneath. 

 Bunches very large, loose, sometimes inclined to be 

 straggling, long-conical. Berries large, dull purple, 

 oval ; flesh firm and crisp ; skin thick ; flavor and 

 quality good. Ripens late and keeps and ships well. 



EMPIRE STATE. Fig. 224. V. yulpina X ? 



Empire State competes with Niagara and 



Diamond for supremacy among green grapes. 

 The variety is as vigorous 

 in growth, as free from 

 parasites, and on vines of 

 the same age as produc- 

 tive as those of the other 

 varieties named, but the 

 vines are less hardy, and 

 the grapes are not so at- 

 tractive in appearance. In 

 particular, the clusters are 

 small in some localities, a 

 defect which can be over- 

 come only by severe 

 pruning or by thinning. 

 The fruits are very good, 

 approaching in flavor the 

 Old World grapes; the 

 slight wild taste suggests 

 one of the Muscats. The 

 grapes ripen early, hang 

 long on the vine, and 

 keep well after picking 

 without losing flavor. 

 Empire State originated 



with James H. Ricketts, Newburgh, New York, 



and bore fruit first in 1879. 



Vine vigorous, somewhat tender. Canes short, few, 

 slender, brownish ; nodes enlarged ; internodes short ; 

 tendrils intermittent, bifid. Leaves small; lobes 3-5 

 when present, terminal one acuminate ; petiolar sinus 

 deep, narrow, often closed and overlapping ; basal sinus 

 variable in depth and width ; lateral sinus deep, narrow, 

 often enlarged at base ; teeth deep, wide. Flowers self- 

 sterile, open late ; stamens upright. Fruit midseason, 

 keeps well. Clusters large, long, slender, cylindrical, 

 frequently single-shouldered, compact ; pedicel slender 

 with small warts; brush short, light green. Berries 

 medium or small, round, pale yellowish-green, covered 

 with thin bloom, persistent, firm ; skin thick, adherent 

 to the pulp, slightly astringent ; flesh pale yellowish- 

 green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, agreeably 

 flavored ; good to very good. Seeds adherent, 1-4 

 small, broad, notched, short, blunt, plump, brown. 



ETTA. V. vulpina X V. Ldbrusca. In ap- 

 pearance, taste, and texture of fruit, Etta is 

 very similar to Elvira, of which it is a seedling. 

 The small, yellow clusters which characterize 

 Elvira are reproduced in Etta; the fruits differ 

 chiefly in having a better flavor, lacking the 

 slight foxiness of Elvira. The vine is very 

 vigorous, hardy, and productive to a fault. 

 The fruit ripens with that of Catawba. The 

 tendency of Elvira to crack and overbear in- 

 fluenced the originator of that variety, Jacob 

 Rommel, Morristown, Missouri, to try for a 

 grape without these faults, and the result was 

 Etta from seed of Elvira. The fruit was first 

 exhibited in 1879. 



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

 merous, light to dark brown ; tendrils continuous, bifid. 

 Leaves large, thick. Flowers self -sterile, early ; stamens 

 upright. Fruit late, keeps well. Clusters small, short, 



broad, irregularly cylindrical, usually with a short, 

 single shoulder but sometimes so heavily shouldered as 

 to form a double bunch, very compact. Berries small, 

 round, pale green, dull with thin bloom, shattering 

 when over-ripe, firm ; skin thin, tender ; flesh juicy, 

 fine-grained, tough, stringy, slightly foxy, mild ; fair 

 in quality. Seeds free, long, blunt, brown. 



EUMELAN. V. Labrusca X Washington. 

 The good qualities of Eumelan are: vines 

 above the average in vigor, hardiness, and pro- 

 ductiveness; clusters and berries well formed, 

 of good size, and handsome color; flesh tender, 

 dissolving into wine-like juice under slight 

 pressure ; and pure flavor rich, sweet, vinous. 

 The season is early, yet the fruit keeps much 

 better than that of most other grapes matur- 

 ing with it, and the variety becomes, there- 

 fore, a midseason and late grape. The defects 

 of the variety are susceptiblity to mildew, self- 

 sterile flowers, and difficulty in propagation. 

 Eumelan may be recommended to amateur 

 growers. It is a chance seedling which grew 

 about 1847, in the yard of a Mr. Thorne, Fish- 

 kill Landing, New York. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes numerous, 

 covered with bloom ; nodes enlarged ; internodes short ; 

 tendrils intermittent, long, trifid or bifid. Leaves large ; 

 lobes usually 3 with terminal one acute ; petiolar sinus 

 deep, variable in width ; basal sinus usually lacking ; 

 lateral sinus shallow, narrow ; teeth shallow. Flowers 

 self-sterile, open in midseason ; stamens reflexed. Fruit 

 early, keeps until late winter. Clusters long, slender, 

 tapering, often with a long, loose, single shoulder ; 

 pedicel short, slender with a few small warts ; brush 

 short, stubby, pale green. Berries of medium size, 

 round, black, glossy with thin bloom, persistent, firm ; 

 skin tough, adherent, with wine-colored pigment, astrin- 

 gent ; flesh dark green, juicy, fine-grained, tender, 

 stringy, spicy and aromatic, sweet ; good. Seeds ad- 

 herent, 1-4, large, wide, blunt, plump, brown. 



EXTRA. V. cestivalis Lincecumii X ? Big 

 Extra. This variety is a seedling of Post- 

 oak crossed by Triumph, introduced by Mun- 

 son about 1890. It is of value only in the 

 Southwest, since the fruits will not mature 

 in northern grape regions. It is described as 

 follows in the catalog of T. V. Munson & 

 Son, Denison, Texas. 



"Growth strong ; clusters oblong to cylindrical, some- 

 times shouldered ; moderately compact. Berries per- 

 sistent, globular, medium to large, dark purple to black, 

 with moderate bloom ; skin thin, tough, never cracks ; 

 pulp tender, juicy, sprightly, agreeable, sweet." 



FEHER SZAGOS. V. vinijera. This va- 

 riety succeeds rather well at Geneva, New 

 York, and bears fruits of excellent quality. 

 The fruits have two defects, dull color of the 

 berries and irregular bunches. The variety is 

 worth trying in the East. Feher Szagos is said 

 to make a very good raisin in California, and 

 usually appears in lists of table-grapes for 

 that state. 



Vines vigorous, somewhat uncertain bearers. Opening 

 leaves pubescent, red along the edges and a tinge of 

 red on the upper surface. Flowers have upright stamens. 

 Fruit usually ripens the first week in October and does 

 not keep well in storage. Clusters large to medium, 

 broad, loose, frequently irregular because of poor set- 

 ting of fruit ; berries large, oval to elliptical, rather 

 dull green, with thin bloom ; skin thick, tender, neutral ; 

 flesh greenish, translucent, juicy, meaty, tender, sweet ; 

 quality of the best. Seeds free. 



