362 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 

 DRACUT AMBER 



(Labrusca) 



Dracut Amber is representative of the red type of Labrusca. 

 The fruit has no particular merit, its thick skin, coarse pulp, 

 seeds and foxy taste all being objectionable. However, the 

 vine is very hardy, productive, and ripens its fruit early so that 

 this variety becomes valuable in locations where a vigorous, 

 hardy, early grape is wanted. Asa Clement, Dracut, Massa- 

 chusetts grew Dracut Amber from seed planted about 1855. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, numerous, dark 

 brown ; nodes enlarged, flattened ; tendrils continuous, long, bifid or 

 trifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, dull, smooth; 

 lower surface pale green, cobwebby ; lobes three to five with terminal 

 one obtuse ; petiolar sinus deep, narrow ; basal sinus shallow, wide ; 

 teeth shallow. Flowers on plan of six, semi-fertile, mid-season. 



Fruit early, season short. Clusters short, broad, cylindrical, 

 irregular, rarely shouldered, compact ; pedicel short, covered with 

 warts ; brush long, light yellowish-green. Berries medium to large, 

 oval, dull pale red or dark amber, covered with thin bloom, soft ; 

 skin very thick, tender, adherent, astringent ; flesh green, translucent, 

 juicy, tough, very foxy ; inferior in quality. Seeds adherent, two to 

 five, large, broad, light brown. 



DUTCHESS 



(Vinifera, Labrusca, Bourquiniana ? ^Estivalis?) 



Dutchess (Plate XIII) is not grown largely in commercial vine- 

 yards because of several faults, as : the vine is tender to cold ; the 

 berries do not ripen evenly ; berries and foliage are susceptible 

 to fungi; and in soils to which it is not adapted, berries and 

 bunches are small. In spite of these defects, Dutchess should 

 not be discarded by the grape-lover, for there are few grapes of 

 higher quality. The grapes are sweet and rich, yet do not 

 cloy the appetite; although of but medium size, they are 

 attractive, being a beautiful amber color with distinctive dots ; 

 the flesh is translucent, sparkling, fine-grained and tender; 

 the seeds are small, few and part readily from the pulp; the 



