366 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 



described as a " diluted " Concord. The grape-skin is very simi- 

 lar to that of Concord, and the fruit packs, ships and keeps 

 about the same, perhaps not quite as well because of the greater 

 amount of juice. The season is a few days earlier than Concord. 

 The vine is similar in all characters to that of its parent. The 

 grapes ripen unevenly, the flowers are self -sterile, and in some 

 locations the vine is a shy bearer. The variety has not found 

 favor with either grower or consumer. Eaton originated with 

 Calvin Eaton, Concord, New Hampshire, about 1868. 



Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive. Canes thick, light 

 brown with blue bloom ; nodes enlarged, flattened ; internodes short ; 

 tendrils continuous, long, bind or trifid. Leaves large, round, thick ; 

 upper surface dark green ; lower surface tinged with bronze, heavily 

 pubescent ; lobes three, terminal one acute ; petiolar sinus shallow, 

 wide ; basal sinus usually lacking ; lateral sinus shallow, narrow, often 

 notched ; teeth shallow. Flowers semi-sterile, early ; stamens up- 

 right. 



Fruit mid-season. Clusters large, short, broad, blunt, sometimes 

 double-shouldered, compact ; pedicel long, thick, smooth ; brush 

 slender, pale green. Berries large, round, black with heavy bloom, 

 persistent, firm ; skin tough, adherent, purplish-red pigment, astrin- 

 gent ; flesh green, translucent, juicy, tough, stringy, foxy ; fair in 

 quality. Seeds adherent, one to four, broad, notched, plump, blunt. 



ECLIPSE 



(Labrusca) 



Eclipse (Plate XV) is a seedling of Niagara and, therefore, a 

 descendant of Concord which it resembles, differing chiefly in 

 earlier fruit which is of better quality. Unfortunately, the 

 bunches and berries are small. The vines are hardly surpassed 

 by those of any other variety, being hardy, healthy and produc- 

 tive, qualities that should commend it for commercial vine- 

 yards. The ripe fruit hangs on the vines for some time with- 

 out deterioration, and the grapes do not crack in wet weather. 

 The crop ripens several days earlier than that of Concord. 



