254 



MISSION 



MUSCATEL 



MISSION. V. vinifera. Of all grapes, Mis- 

 sion has probably played the most important 

 part in the vineyards of California. Grown 

 from the earliest times at the old missions, 

 its source or its name has never been deter- 

 mined. Its viticultural value for table and 

 wine-press was early appreciated by Californian 

 grape-growers, and its culture rapidly spread 

 to every county in the state adapted to grape- 

 growing. With vines vigorous, healthy, and 

 productive, bearing grapes of delicious quality, 

 Mission is a mainstay on the Pacific slope, 

 surpassed by few vineyard varieties for gen- 

 eral usefulness. The description is compiled. 



Vine vigorous, healthy, productive ; wood short- 

 jointed, grayish-brown, dull, dark. Leaf medium to 

 large, slightly oblong, with large, deeply-cut compound 

 teeth ; basal widely opened, primary sinuses narrow and 

 shallow ; smooth on both sides with scattered tomentum 

 below, bright green above, lighter below. Bunch di- 

 vided into many small, distinct lateral clusters, shoul- 

 dered, loose, sometimes very loose. Berries of medium 

 size, purple or almost black with heavy bloom ; skin 

 thin ; flesh firm, crisp, juicy, sweet, rich and delicious. 

 Seeds rather large and prominent ; season late. 



MOORE EARLY. Fig. 231. V. Labrusca. 

 Moore Early is the standard grape of its sea- 

 son. Its fruits cannot be described better than 

 by saying that they are almost identical with 

 those of Concord. The 

 vines, however, are 

 readily distinguishable 

 from those of Concord, 

 and differ chiefly in 

 being less productive. 

 To grow the variety 

 satisfactorily, the soil 

 must be rich, well- 

 drained, loose, and 

 must be frequently 

 cultivated, and the 

 vines should be 

 pruned severely. The 

 bunches of Moore 

 Early are not so large 

 as those of Concord, 

 and are less compact; 

 the berries shell rather 

 more easily, and the 

 skin cracks more read- 

 ily. The flesh-charac- 

 ters and the flavor are 

 essentially those of 

 Concord, although the 

 quality is not so high 

 as in the older variety. 



The fruit is, however, of much higher quality 

 than that of Champion and Hartford, chief 

 competitors of Moore Early, and varieties 

 which it should replace. Moore Early is by 

 no means an ideal grape for its season, but 

 until a better variety is introduced it will prob- 

 ably remain the best early commercial sort. 

 Captain John B. Moore, Concord, Massachu- 

 setts, originated this variety from seed of 

 Concord planted about 1868. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, unproductive. Canes short, 

 dark reddish-brown ; nodes enlarged, flattened ; inter- 

 nodes short, tendrils continuous, bifid or trifid. Leaves 

 large, thick ; leaf usually not lobed, terminus acute ; 



231. Moore Early. 



petiolar sinus wide ; basal sinus lacking ; lateral sinus 

 a notch when present ; teeth shallow, narrow. Flowers 

 fertile, open in midseason ; stamens upright. Fruit 

 early, does not keep well. Clusters medium in size, 

 length, and breadth, cylindrical, sometimes single- 

 shouldered, loose ; pedicel short, thick, smooth ; brush 

 short, pale green. Berries large, round, purplish-black, 

 firm ; skin tender, adherent ; flesh green, translucent, 

 juicy, fine-grained, tough with slight foxiness ; fair 

 to good. Seeds 1-4, large, broad, plump, blunt, brown 

 with yellow tinge at tips. 



MOSCATELLO. V. vinifera. Moscatello 

 Nero. Black Muscat. Beautiful in appearance 

 and having a delicate Muscat taste and 

 aroma, the fruits of this variety make about 

 the best table-grape for the Pacific slope. Un- 

 fortunately, the crop ripens so late that Mos- 

 catello is hardly worth trying in the East. 

 The variety has the reputation of being very 

 productive. The description is compiled. 



Vine vigorous, healthy, very productive. Leaves of 

 medium size, with deep upper and shallow lower 

 sinuses ; glabrous above, slightly downy below, very 

 hairy on the veins, with long, sharp teeth. Bunch 

 large to very large, long, loose, conico-cylindrical, 

 winged. Berries very large, borne on long slender pedi- 

 cels, dark purple, almost black ; skin thin but tough ; 

 flesh rather soft, juicy ; flavor sweet, rich, aromatic, 

 musky ; quality very good. Season late, does not keep 

 well. 



MOVER. V. cestivalis Bourquiniana X V. 

 vinifera. Jordan. Mayer's Early Red. Moyer 

 is almost a counterpart of its parent, Delaware. 

 But for the fact that its crop is from one to two 

 weeks earlier than that of Delaware, and the 

 vines are somewhat hardier, hence better 

 adapted for cold regions, Moyer could have 

 no place in viticulture. Compared with Dela- 

 ware, the vine is hardly as vigorous and is less 

 productive, but is freer from rot and mildew. 

 The bunches are much like those of Delaware, 

 but have the fault of setting fruit imperfectly 

 even when cross-pollination is assured; the 

 berries are a little larger, of much the same 

 color, and of like flavor rich, sweet, with 

 pure vinousness, and without a trace of foxi- 

 ness. The fruit keeps well, ships well, and 

 does not crack nor shell. Moyer is well es- 

 tablished in Canada, proving perfectly hardy 

 wherever Concord is grown, and possibly 

 standing even more cold. W. H. Read, Port 

 Dalhousie, Ontario, raised the original vine of 

 Moyer, about 1880. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, unproductive. Canes 

 numerous, slender, dull, dark reddish-brown ; nodes en- 

 larged, flattened ; internodes short ; tendrils continuous, 

 long, bifid or trifid. Leaves small ; lobes 2-5 with 

 terminus acute ; petiolar sinus shallow ; basal sinus 

 shallow when present ; lateral sinus shallow, narrow ; 

 teeth very shallow, narrow. Flowers self-sterile, open 

 early ; stamens reflexed. Fruit early, keeps well but 

 loses color if kept too long. Clusters small, short, 

 slender, tapering, sometimes single-shouldered ; pedicel 

 short with small warts ; brush yellowish-green. Berries 

 small, oblate, dark red with faint bloom, persistent, 

 firm ; skin tough, free, astringent ; flesh translucent, 

 juicy, tender, fine-grained, vinous ; good to very good. 

 Seeds free, 1-4, broad, short, very blunt, brown with 

 yellow tinge at tips. 



MUSCATEL. V. vinifera. White Frontig- 

 nan. This old standard sort is rather com- 

 monly grown in some of the grape regions of 

 California to follow Chasselas Golden. It 

 might be tried with some show of success in 



