Cynthiana. 



DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 



Dana. Ill 



Norton, the same who introduced to notice 

 our invaluable Norton's Virginia grape, made 

 wine from the Cunningham in 1855, and fur- 

 nished to the Elder Prince, of Flushing, Long 

 Island, the stock from which this grape has 

 been disseminated. In this latitude and far- 

 ther SOUTH, the Cunningham is vert valuable 

 for southern slopes with poor, light limestone 

 soils. Transplanted to southern France, it 

 was there considered as one of the most valu- 

 able American grapes, the quality of which 

 was admitted to be equal to that of some of 

 their own favorite varieties. 



Bunch very compact and heavy, medium, 

 long, not always shouldered ; berries small, 

 purple-brownish black, juicy, and vinous. 

 Vine a very strong grower, healthy, and 

 productive ; to be so, however, it needs spur- 

 pruning on laterals, and light winter protec- 

 tion. It should be planted only in favorable 

 locations, where the Herbemont succeeds best. 

 Roots of medium thickness, inclined to be 

 wiry, straight, tough, with a smooth, hard 

 liber. The Cunningham is one of the best 

 resistants to the Phylloxera. Canes not nu- 

 merous, but very stout and vigourous, often 

 attaining a length of 30 or 40 feet in one 

 season ; wood hard with a medium sized pith, 

 and a hard, thick outer bark adhering closely 

 even on the ripe wood, a characteristic com- 

 mon to all the vEstivalis class. Ripens its 

 fruit very late, and makes one of the most 

 aromatic and delightful wines, of dark yellow 

 color. Must 95° to 112^ 



Ciiyabogra. {Ldbr.) Syn., Wemple. A fliance seed- 

 ling found and grown by Wemple, of Collamer, Cuy- 

 ahoga Co., Ohio. Vine a strong grower: requires a 

 warm, sandy soil, and exposure to make it desirable at 

 the north; but when well grown it is of fine quality. 

 South it casts its foliage and is not valuable. Bunch 

 medium, compact; herry medium, dull gkeenish-amber 

 when fully ripe; flesli tcJider, juicy, rich, vinous, sweet. 

 llipens with tue Catawlia or a little later. 



Cynthiana. (^st.) Syn. : Red River, 

 Arkansas, Received by Husmann, in 1858, 

 from William R. Prince, Flushing, Long Isl- 

 and, N. Y. Origin, Arkansas, where it was 

 probably found growing wild. It is a true 

 ^stivalis in all its habits, and resembles Nor- 

 ton's Virginia so closel}^ that it is impossible 

 to distinguish the wood or leaf, although the 

 bunch is perhaps somewhat more shouldered, 

 the berry more juicy and the season for its 

 ripening somewhat earlier. This difference, 

 however, and other points hereinafter men- 

 tioned, are attributed by many viticulturists 

 to difference of location, soil, and aspect, and 

 are not deemed sufficient to justify' its being 

 considered a separate and distinct variet}'' 

 from Norton's Virginia. We are not prepared 

 to decide, but are inclined to side with those 

 who consider the Cynthiana different from 

 and superior to Norton's. 



Bunch of medium size, moderately com- 

 pact, shouldered ; berry below medium, 

 round, black with blue bloom, sweet, spicy, 

 moderately juicy. Juice dark red ; weighs 

 very heavy on the must "scale, even higher 

 than Norton's Virginia, and, so far, makes 

 our best reel ivine. It has as much body as 

 Norton's, is of exquisite flavor, and can 

 safely enter the lists with Burgund3' wines. 

 The Norton's, however, seems lo possess 

 medicinal ingredients (tannin) in a higher 

 degree. Vine vigorous and healthy, free 

 from rot, productive, and as sure here in its 

 crops of well ripened fruit as any variety we 

 know, but ver}^ difficult to propagate, as its 

 wood is very hard, with a small pith and 

 closely adhering outer bark. The fruit 

 ripens some few days earlier than Norton's. 

 Specific gravity of must from 98° to 112", ac- 

 cording to the season. For the Central and 

 South Central States we can confidently 

 recommend the true Cynthiana as the best 

 grape for red tvine which we have tried. 

 Cynthiana and Norton are also marvelously 

 adapted to Florida, owing probably to the 

 high degree of moisture in her atmosphere ; 

 these grapes attain there a larger size of 

 bunch and berry than any where else ; they 

 make there a very fine Claret and Port. 



Our Cynthiana wine was awarded the First 

 Medal of Merit at the AVorld-Exposition, Vi- 

 enna, 1873, and is gaining the "blue ribbon " 

 at every test. The commission at the Con- 

 gres de Montpellier, France, 1874, reported: 

 "Cynthiana of Mr. Bush, a red wine of fine 

 color, rich in body and alcohol, reminding us 

 of old Roussillon wine." The late papa 

 Muench wrote us: "Too much cannot be 

 said in praise of the Cynthiana ; its wine, two 

 or three years old, cannot be excelled by the 

 best red wines of the old world." We look 

 upon it as our best and most valuable grape 

 for red wine, and have bestowed special at- 

 tention on its propagation. 



Daisy. (Labr.-Vin.) A seedling of Gioethe, said to 

 have been raised l)y Dr. J. Stayman. Bunch medium 

 size, rather loose. Berry resembling Isabella in sliape, 

 dark red with lilac bloom ; pulp tender, sweet, pleasant 

 flavored, vinous, slightly astringent; skin thin, seeds 

 few; ripens aljout witli VVorden. (AH tliis so unlike 

 Goethe tliat we doubt this to-be its parent.) 



Dana. (Labr.) A seedling grown by the late 

 Francis Dana, of Roxbury, Mass., and described 

 in the " Massachusetts Horticultural Transac- 

 tions.'" Buuch medium, shouldered, compact, 

 with a peculiar red stem ; hcrries rather large, 

 round, red with a rich, heavy bloom, so that 

 when fullv ripe they appear ahnost black; flesh 

 as free from pulp as Delaware ; not so sweet, yet 

 not an acid grape. 



John B. Moore & Son, Concord, Mass., say of 

 this grape, that the vine is a strong grower and 

 perfectly hardy, the foliage clean ("?) and healthy. 

 Bunch as large as the Concord at its best; similar 

 to the Red Chasselas in quality and color, and sup- 

 posed to be a pure native. Ripens with Concord. 



