102 Centennial. 



BUSHBERG CATALOGUE. 



Chidester. 



being hei-eaf ter successfully protected from downy 

 mildew may succeed over a wider range of our 

 countrj' and prove a valuable grape. We consider 

 it a fine amateur grape. See tigui'e. 



At tbe Xew York Experimental Station the 

 Centennial proved a medium grower onlj^, yet 

 healthy in wood ; foliage scant ; should have been 

 thinned; bunch medium size; berries small ; color 

 green on one side with a red blush. in the sun. 

 Valuable for amateur collections only. 



Challengp. {Lahr.-IIiibr.) Supposed cross be- 

 tween Concord and Royal Muscadine, grown by 

 IJev. Asher Moore, New Jersey. Very early and 

 prolitlc; hiinchpn, short, compact, shouldered; 

 herries medium to large, round, pale ked, with flesh 

 slightly pulpy ; very sweet and juicy. Extra hardy 

 wood and leaf; ripens evenly and late. 



We consider it purely native, yet an excellent 

 dessert and wine grape. 



Champion. (Lahr.) Syn. : Eauly Champion. 

 Talman's Seedling. Beaconsfield. In 1873 

 the late President Wilder asked, "Does any one 

 know anything about the Champion?" And the 

 late Dr. Swasey. of Louisiana, then informed us 

 that it was a new grape, extra earl}', and one of 

 the best in cultivation. (Am. Pom. Soc, 1873, 

 page 66.) In our catalogue, edition 1875. we gave 

 the best description we could then obtain. But 

 while it was said that the Champion had origi- 

 nated in one of the city gardens of New Orleans. 

 La., an accidental seedling, "where It has so mag- 

 nificently flourished and borne its splendid fruit." 

 and "evaded the notice of our grape-growers for 

 a number of years," we found that this was not 

 so; that R. J. Donnelly, at Rochester, N. Y., and 

 J. I. Stone, at Charlotte, Monroe County, N. Y., 

 propagated and disseminated the "Early Cham- 

 pion." apparentlj^ the same grape, before 1873, 

 and that under the name of Talman's Seedling. 

 or Talman. this identical variety had been grown 

 around Syracuse and other New York localities. 

 It has proven the earliest market grape, and has 

 been a profitable one to some growers, but it is so 

 poor in quality that the better known it is the less 

 saleable does it become ; and it should be discarded 

 for better varieties. Years ago it was shipped to 

 Montreal and other Canadian markets, command- 

 ing there high prices, and, as the vine was found 

 to succeed well and to bear abundantly in the 

 neighborhood of ^lontreal. young Donnelly, who 

 was then manager of the Beaconsfield vineyards, 

 planted there several thousand of his father's 

 Champion vines, and caused them to be planted 

 quite extensively in the vicinity. Thus it became 

 known as the Bearonsfield {/rape. It was decidedly 

 a profitable grape, selling at high prices on ac- 

 count of its earllness, before other grapes could 

 be had — and until people became more appre- 

 ciative of qnalitij. 



The rAne is a strong grower, thrifty and hard}', 

 with healthv foliage", entirely free from mildew, 

 and verj' productive. Bitnrhes large, handsome, 

 compact, and sliouldered, Berrtj round, bluish- 

 black, nearly as large as Hartford; skin thick, 

 firm, and adhering well to the stem. Ripens 

 nearl}' one week earlier than Unrtford, but is as 

 poor, if not poorer, in quality. 



In an address delivered by Geo. W. Campbell 

 before the students of agriculture, Ohio State 

 University, he said: "Its quality is so very poor 

 'tliat if tlio choice were' between the Ci»ampion 

 and none. I would never taste a grape during my 



natural existence. And still I have been told re- 

 peatedly, by several large growers of grapes for 

 market, that they have made more money from 

 the same area of the plantations of the Champion 

 than from any other variety." 



This grape does the best on a warm, sandy, not 

 very fertile soil. 



Under the name of Champion, as also the Golden 

 CAaw;jion, anotlier grape was introduced in California, 

 whicli proves there a miserable failure. 



Chandler. (Lahr) Believed to be from Worden seed; 

 received at New York Experimental Station in 1892, from 

 N. M. Chandler, Ottawa, Kan. A white srape of good 

 (juality and said to be very hardy and a fair cropper. 

 Not yet tested. 



Charles Downing-. (u-Est.-H>i1>r.) See Downing. 



Charlotte. (Lahr.) Identical with Diana. 



Charter Oak. (Labr.) A very large, coarse, native 

 Fo.x grape, quite worthless, except' for size, which 

 makes its appearance as attractive as its musky flavor 

 is repulsive. 



Chantauqiia. (Labr.) A chance seedling from the 

 Concord, originated in the vineyard of H. T. Bashtite, 

 near Broctoii, Chautauqua County, N. Y. Similar to 

 Concoi'd; blue black, its extra large berries make it 

 attractive; said to be of excellent flavor and quality, 

 not yet sufficiently tested. 



Cherokee. (^Est.) Originated by Dr. J. Stayman of 

 Leavenworth, Kan., from the same lot of seed as the 

 Ozark. Vine a strong grower, vigorous and productive; 

 free from rot and mildew on its originator's ground; 

 about of the characterof Cythiana. Bunch large, com- 

 pact; berries medium, black, tender, juicy, sprightly, 

 vinous, sweet; ripens rather late. 



Chicago. {Lahr.) A chance seedling found 

 growing on the streets of Lincoln, 111., whence E. 

 F. L. Rautenberg, a well-known, successful ama- 

 teur horticulturist, transplanted it to his vineyard. 

 The peculiar light color of its tough, leathery 

 foliage attracted his attention. The vine, so far, 

 has been perfectly healthy, a good grower and 

 very productive, never missed a ci'op since first 

 bearing, and went through a verj^ severe winter 

 uninjured, while Duchesse, by its side, froze. 

 Bunch medium, sometimes double: lierries me- 

 dium, round: skin tough; the berries hang very 

 tight on tbe peduncle: color red, resembling 

 Delaware; juice very sweet, rich : a good ship- 

 per, retaining long its freshness: has been sent by a 

 mail from Illinois to New Jersey without destroy- % 

 ing the bunch; ripens early, between Hartford 

 and Delaware. May prove, therefore, a good 

 market variety. 



Chidester Nos. 1, 2, 3. (Lahr.) Originated by 

 C. P. Chidester. of Battle Creek, Mich. We make 

 an exception with regard to these. As a rule we 

 do not quote and describe unnamed varieties ; but 

 these were introduced by the above numbers and 

 name of its producer since 1885. and are highly 

 commended under said designation only, again in 

 January, 1894, at the Michigan State Horticultural 

 meeting, by all who saw and tasted them. No. 1 

 was named President Lyon, but this name was 

 subsecjuently bestowed by T. V. Munson, of Texas, 

 on one of his hybrids, and Chidester later ex- 

 hibited his new varieties as Nos. 1, 2, 3, at the 

 ^Michigan State Horticultural meetings, gaining 

 recominendation.s, as giving decided promise of 

 value for market, especially North, where but few 

 varieties succeeded. 



No. 1 is excellent in quality, but a very thin 

 bearer. 



