148 Lenoir^ 



BUSHBERG CATALOGUE. 



or Block Spanish, 



Lenoir. (./;«(.) Syn., Black 

 .Spanish, El Paso, Bukgundy. 

 Jack or Jacques. A southern 

 grape of the Herbemont class. 

 from Lenoir Co., N. C. Bunch 

 medium to large, shouldered; 

 under unfavorable circumstan- 

 ces, or on badly pruned, over- 

 loaded vines the bunches are 

 loose and not shouldered; berries 

 small, round, dark bluisii- 

 i-UKi'LE. nearly black, covered 

 with light bloom: flesh tender 

 no pulp, juicy, sweet and vinous ; 

 very rich in" coloring matter; a 

 magniflcent grape for the south, 

 too tender and too late in ripen- 

 ing for the North and central 

 States. In favorable localities 

 desirable for wine and table. 

 Vine a fine grower, but a tardy 

 bearer; foliage deeply lobed. 



This variety is mainly culti- 

 vated in Texas under different 

 names, as Black Spanish, El 

 Paso. Many years ago (about 

 1859), some few vines, under the 

 name of Jacques, were sent to 

 France by Berckmans, of Geor- 

 gia. In 186V) and following years, 

 when the Phylloxera com- 

 menced to devastate the vine- 

 yards of southern France, these 

 few Jacques vines continued in 

 luxuriant growth and perfect 

 health. This caused a great de- 

 mand for Jacques vines, the more 

 so as its grape, on account of its 

 pure vinous taste and deep 

 rich color, pleased the French 

 vigneruns. 



But iu vain did they apply to 

 American grape-growers and 

 nurseries for vines of this va- 

 riety. Berckmans himself stated 

 (in 1871) that he had none, and 

 that the culture of this variety 

 had been entirely abandoned in 

 this country. No one then knew 

 that the Lenoir and the Black 

 Spanish, cultivated in Texas, 

 were indentical with theJacqnes. 

 After considerable research 

 for this variety, we found that 

 G. Onderdonk, describing in his 

 Catalogue the Lenoir, made the 

 following remark: '' the leaf and 

 habit exactly resemble those of 

 the Black Spanish.''' From this 

 remark, and from the description 

 of the '-Ohio'' in Downimfs '• Fruits and Fruit- 

 trees of America," we were strongly inclined to 

 believe -'Lenoir," "Black Spanish," "Ohio," 

 "Jacques " indentical, and the very variety which 

 our friends in France were looking for. We so 

 declared in the second edition of our Catalogue 

 (1874-."), p. 70). although even Berckmans and 

 Onderdonk then considered them distinct varie- 

 ties. 



He had somehow got the idea that the Lenoir 

 originated in Lenoir county, S. C, and wrote to 

 Berckmans for further information who replied: 

 "The Lenoir and Black Spanish are both native 

 seedlings of the ^stimlis type; both have colored 



LENOIR. (Syn., Black Spanish, Jacques, etc.) 



juice. The Lenoir has its bunches compact and 

 shouldered; the Black Spanish, on the contrary, 

 has the bunch verv loose, cylindrical, growing 

 to a length of IS inches. Of the two, it makes 

 the darkest colored wine. Both are. perhaps, 

 tlie best red-wine grapes we have. * * * The 

 Lenoir originated in South Carolina, the Black 

 Spanish iu Natchez, Miss." 



Bat while we announced the indentity of these 

 varieties as a probabiliti/ only, a well-known 

 French importer, less cautious and merely on the 

 strength of onr supposition, at once ordered 

 thousands of cuttings from the Black Spanish, 

 and offered them in France, at an exhoj'bitant 



