Lydia. 



DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 



Marine's SeecU. 151 



days after gathered, or when over-ripe, it gets 

 quite foxj^ and drops badly from the bunch. 

 Hence it is no? desirable as a grape for market; 

 but planted in our garden, for family use, to be 

 consumed as it ripens, it is of kkal mekit, and 

 spreads a fine peifume. Here we may quote a 

 true remark of Dr. L. C. Chisholm, the originator 

 of the Liitie (who is (juite innocent of the extrav- 

 agant and ridiculous over-praise of this variety 

 when first introduced in 1885). He says: "By 

 merit we do not mean what many frequently call 

 so: A few sample bunches of large size, tine 

 color and other attractive features, yet destitute 

 of the most important merits which a grape ought 

 to possess, such as vigor in growth, resistance to 

 disease, a good cropper one year with another, 

 fruit of good quality, ripening up well together." 



K^ydia. (Labr.) Originated by Carpenter, of Kelley's 

 I.shind, Lake Erie: supposed to be an Isabella seedling. 

 Bunch short, compnct ; berries large, oval, light green, 

 witii salmon tint where exposed to the sun; skin thick: 

 pulp tender, sweet, of fine flavor, slightly vinous. In 

 habit of growth the vine is not unlike tlie Isabella, but 

 is much less productive. Ripens a few days later than 

 the Delaware. 



layman. (Ttij).) Oi'igin unknown. A Nortliern vari- 

 ety, said to have l)een i)rought from Quebec upwards of 

 fifty years ago; hardy and productive. Bunch small, 

 rather compact; berr i/'ronnd, medium, or below; bi^ack, 

 covered with a thick bloom; similar in flavor to Clinton, 

 and ripens about the same time. 



Sherman and McNeil are varieties grown from tlie 

 i above, but hai-dly to be distinguished from it. — Doioning. 



liyon. {Labr. X) A cross of Concord upon Delaware, 

 originated by C. P. Chidester, of Olivet, Mich. The vine 

 is vigorous and hardy: bunch and berry resemble Con- 

 cord; the color being that of Delaware, pale red; the 

 <iuality is good: the fruit ripens with Delaware. It was 

 first exhibited in 1886 at the Micliigan State Fair and 

 there, thought very valuable, was named Lyon in honor 

 of the President of the Michigan State Horticultural 

 Society. But it proved sadly unproductive and is now- 

 abandoned. 



I^yon. (liip.-Hi/br.) Another grape, finer and more 

 promising, produced by T. V. Munson, of Texas, has 

 now been honored with the name of Lyon; but it can 

 scarcely lie successful as far north as the home of the 

 illustrious pomologist of that name, while it is much 

 admired in the South. 



Mabel. {^st.-Hybr.) Originated by the late A. J. 

 Caywood, of ^Marlborough, N. Y., from the seed of his 

 Walter grape. Vine not a vigorous grower and moder- 

 ately productive only; cluster medium, compact; berry 

 below medium, black with blue bloom; skin thin, 

 tough; pulp almost melting, juicy; ripens a little l)e- 

 fore Concord. Not recommended except as an amateur 

 grape in favorable localities. 



]Wab«l. {^st.\ Another grape named '• Mabel," raised 

 near Freeport, Ills., resembling Delaware in coloi- and 

 generil appearance, but with .somewhat larger clusters 

 and berries, with thick, heavy foliage, supposed to resLst 

 mildew, was considered as promising to be a valuable 

 acquisition in 1879 has scarcely l)een lieard from since, 

 and is now forgotten. 



:viadellne. (Labr.) A chance seedling, grown by G. 

 Hender.son, Eddyville, X. Y.— Not known, except to 

 ^f it -.Li/. "(.)ur native grape"— said to be a white grape 

 with ])leasant flavor, that ripens early. 



Magrnate. (Labr.-Hybr.) Originated from Con- 

 cord, either by the late John Burr or by Dr. Stay- 

 man. The original vine was grafted many years 

 ago and cannot be found. The variety is growing 

 on the grounds of either and doing well ; the vine 

 is vigorous, hardy, healthy and very prolific; free 

 from mildew and not as prone to rot; bunch 

 medium to large, shouldered and compact; berry 

 about large, white, a little pulpy, but tender, 

 sprightly sweet with some of the native aroma; 

 quality very good, as good if not better than Con- 

 cord and ripens about with it; will hang on the 

 vines long after ripe. 



Mag-niflcent. (?) Originated by A. F. Rice of 

 Grisvvoldville, Georgia; reported in 1891 to the 

 Am. Pomological Society, by H. E. Van Deman, 

 Washington, D. C; among the novelties, at the 

 same time with the ">S'"/)cW;" q. v. He says, 

 from examining the specimen, that it seems of 

 such worth that we ought to give it a trial. The 

 color is dark red, with purplish bloom ; of the 

 highest quality. We have not heard of it since. 



Ma^nire is like Hartford, but more foxy.— Strong. 



Mammoth Catawba. See Catawba Seedlings. 



Mainmotb Sa^e. (Labr.) Onondaga Co., N. Y., 

 mother of Rogers' Hyl)rids. 



Manliattaii. (Labr.) Originated near New York. A 

 poor bearer. Bunches small; berries medium, round, 

 greenish-white with a bloom; flesh sweet, rather 

 pulpy. — Downing. 



»laii$ifield. (Labr. X) Raised in 1809 l\y C. G. Pringle, 

 of Vermont, a well-known and successful hybridizer, 

 from seed of Concord fertilized by pollen of the lona; 

 said to combine the more valuable characters of both 

 these popular sorts. Vine a rampant grower, with broad 

 and thick leaves, densely woolly beneath; &Mnc/t large, 

 often shouldered, sufficiently compact; berry ot pur- 

 plish-black color under a slight bloom; large, some- 

 what oval; flesh tender, with but little pulp of a re- 

 markably rich flavor. Season earlier than Concord. It 

 was predicted that this will prove a valualile acquisi- 

 tion to the nortliern parts of our country as a very early 

 variety. Has not been tried there, that we know of. 



Margruerite. (Labr.) Raised by Theophile 

 Huber, Illinois City, 111. Vine a moderately 

 strong grower; bunch veiy compact and shoul- 

 dered, berries somewhat smaller than Concord, 

 of light AMBER color; pulp tender, very sweet 

 with a delicate Catawba Havor, but a slight bit- 

 terness of the skin when chewed. 



Marguerite. (Linc.-^^st.) See Munson's Hy- 

 brids, page 159. 



Mai'ie Louise. (Lahr.) Raised by Theophile 

 Huber, Illinois City, III. Vine strong, very hardy 

 and productive. Bunch large, shouldered, com- 

 pact; berries about equal in size to Concord; a 

 WHITE grape with small seed separating readily 

 from the tender core, sweet and juicy; skin thin 

 but tough. H. E. Van Deman disseminated some 

 for testing, considering them worthy. 



Mariue'.s Seedlings. These grapes are crosses 

 between purely native varieties claimed to be pro- 

 duced by a new and very simple process ; diluting 

 the pollen of the male liower with rain water and 

 then applying it to the pistils of the variety which 

 he selects as the female parent. Among the 

 seedlings thus raised there are some which are 

 quite peculiar and very interesting; some are of 

 the ^fJstiraU.^ family, but with berries of quite a 

 large size: 1. Xerlntun — fine large bunch; berries 

 above medium, black ; leaf very large and leath- 

 ery, strong. 2. frreencastle — same as the former, 

 berries even larger. 3. Luua — white, in appear- 

 ance almost like Martha, but the gain in size 

 seems to be coupled with a loss in quality, com 

 pared to our delicious, juicy, small ^^^stivalis 

 grapes. A larger number of his seedlings are of 

 the Labrusca type, and among the.se his "C 77.," 

 BLACK; Mianna and King William, white, seemed 

 to us worthy of trial. 



In fall of 1874, a year or two before his death, 

 Marine wrote: '• Xow that I have reached my 

 three score years and ten. I am admonished to 

 yield the further prosecution of this branch of 

 progress to others, more skilled, and to those 

 coming after our time, believing, as I do, that 

 much greater results are looked for in the future." 

 His seedli;igs were not disseminated. 



