Early Ohio. 



DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 



Early Victor. 121 



profitable market grape, displacing the "Hart- 

 ford," "Champion," " Janesville," and even 

 "Moore's Early." 



Bunch large, compact, frequently shoul- 

 dered ; berries only medium in size and 

 quality, yet handsome in appearance ; color 

 BLACK, covered with a heavy bloom, and of 

 a spicy, pleasant flavor, better than most 

 other very early sorts and adhering tena- 

 ciously to the stem, a merit highly appreciated 

 and sorely missed in some varieties for 

 market. It is free from mildew and so far 

 seems not very subject to rot. Roots abund- 

 ant and fibrous, of firm liber ; wood harder 

 than Concord, with a small pith. 



The Early Ohio has also been tested for 

 wine, and Harms Bros., who are among the 

 liest vintners of Ohio, consider it a promising 

 red wine grape in every respect ; the must 

 weighing 104^^, with but 6^ per mille acid. 



The New York Experimental Station, S. A. 

 Beach, Hort., reports 1893: Among more 

 than one hundred and forty kinds fruited 

 here this season, the Early Ohio was one of 

 the first to ripen its fruit, being a few days 

 earlier than Moore's Early. — He calls it a 

 PURPLE grape. 



Early Victoi*. (Labr. X ) A seedling from 

 Delaware crossed on some vigorous grape of 

 the Labrusca class, originated with John Burr,* 

 of Leavenworth, Kan., about 1870. Vine very 



*The originator of the Early Victor, the late John 

 Burr, who had been very successful in Ohio, some fifty 

 years ago (about 1845) in raising some fine new Straw- 

 berries, tried later when ho removed to Kansas, to do 

 the same also with tlie grape. He planted in his lot at 

 Leavenworth, the Catawba, Bland, Isabella, Hartford, 

 I Delaware, Concord, Salem and Goethe. No others were 

 ''• allowed near his place to poUenize his grapes. He 

 t)elieved in natural fertilization. He held that nature 

 .selects under the environments the pollen most con- 

 genial to perpetuate its species and never makes a 

 , mistake. Manconjectures what he wants and attempts 

 mostly in vain, to make nature yield to it. Proceeding 

 on this principle, .John Burr planted the best varieties, 

 possessing some of the qualities he most desired, in 

 close proximity to each other, so each variety could be 

 fertilized l)y those most congenial. From these the best 

 '^ bunches were selected and the seed planted. Burr 

 ' commenced first with the Concord, but afterwards, 

 believing that it was not susceptible to much improve- 

 ment, lie discarded and destroyed all vines produced 

 from its seeds, as well as his seedlings of Isabella, 

 Hartford and others of marlted Labrusca type and 

 native flavor, (except Osage). He then .selected Dela- 

 ware, and liis first to fruit front it was Early Victor. 

 Tliis was the first and only grape he ever disseminated; 

 his Jeicel grape he sold to Slayman and Black, and they 

 propagated and disseminated it in 1867. With the first 

 two and with Ideal and Standard lie noted from what 

 variety they originated; later nor he nor Dr. Stayman 

 deemed this essential. (This explains the statement 

 "from mixed seed" in tlie descriptions of those varie- 

 ties). As they are all good and those from seed of their 

 seedlings better than the first, — as Eclipse, Ideal, Pri- 

 mate, Omega, Paragon of Mr. Burr and Wliite Beauty, 



hardy, healthy, vigorous, and productive; umod 

 dark gray, rather long-jointed; foliage thick, me- 

 dium, dark green, deeply lobed, partaking some- 

 what of the character of the Delawai'e and Hart- 

 ford not as pubescent as the latter. The original 

 vine has not been injured by the severe cold and 

 sudden changes of our climate, and has shown no 

 mildew, rot or other disease for several years, but 

 was later found more or less subject to rot. 



^'Bunch medium, compact, often shouldered, 

 sometimes double shouldered; bernj medium, 

 round, black with a heavy blue bloom ; adheres 

 to the peduncle until it shrivels; tiesh slightly 

 pulp}', juicy, sprightly, and vinous; agreeably 

 sweet, without foxiness. Ripening season about 

 10 days in advance of Concord, nearly with Hart- 

 ford and Moore's Early : it colors about 10 days 

 before it is fully ripe; like the Ices it should be 

 allowed to hang on its growing vines for about 10 

 days after it colors." 



Geo. W. Campbell said : " I know of no black 

 grape so well fitted to take the place of all the 

 foxy abominations (Hartford, Ives, Champion, 

 Janesville, Belvidere) which have been tolerated 

 on account of their earliness. I am glad to recog- 

 nize in this variety a really (jood, very early black 

 grape, with a vine evidently of the healthiest 

 and hardiest type of the Labrusca class." 



In growth and genei'al habit, as well as in the 

 size and general appearance of the clusters, it 

 resembles the Hartford; but. unlike the Hartford, 

 it is a grape of excellent quality, slight pulpiness, 

 small seeds, free from foxiness, the berry does 

 not fall from the cluster even when overripe, and 

 it makes a very good claret wine. 



Early Wine. 



Seedlings. • 



(Linc.-Rup.) See Munson's 



White Imperial, Darvin, Ozark and Pawnee of Dr. 

 Stayman, — the correctness of that principle seems 

 proven. 



In view of the many valuable Varieties with which 

 father Burr has enriched the American grape, a short 

 biographical notice may be welcome: 



John Burr, was Ijorn with the present century, Nov. 

 1800, at Bridgeport, Connecticut; a better, more useful 

 and a happier man than his celelirated namesake. 

 Vice President, Aaron Burr. He married Eliza Hooker 

 of Hartford, Conn., and removed to Columlius, O.; suc- 

 cessfully engaged in mercantile business, lie at tlie 

 same time earnestly devoted himself to fruit culture 

 producing some fine new strawlierries, " Buri-'s new 

 Pine " and Burr's new Seedling, are still among leading 

 strawlierries of Ohio. In 18.dS he removed with his 

 family to Leavenworth, Ivans., where he indulged in 

 his favorite pursuit. The fascination for producing 

 new grapes grew on him; he devoted himself to it with 

 energy, love and enthusiasm. To this healthful pur- 

 suit may be attributed the I'emarkalile longevity and 

 the vigor of body and mind he preserved up to his 

 death. He was domestic in liis liabits, yet sociable in 

 his manners, a genial, modest, lovable man of the old 

 school. The passing years stole l)ut little fire from liis 

 mind and though afflicted with rheumatism he enjoyed 

 the fruit of his successful labors: at tlie age of 91 years 

 he was still engaged in his unselfish work, hopefully 

 asserting that his next new grape would surpass his 

 other splendid Varieties. In Dec. 1892, being over 92 

 years old he died and, according to his desire, was con- 

 veyed by his children and grand cliildrcn to the family 

 lot in beautiful Green Lawn Cemetery at Columbus, 

 O. His name is honored and will be gratefully remem- 

 bered among all. 



