Bland. 



DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 



Brant. 77 



Bland. (Labr.f) Syn. ELAND'S VIBGINIA. ELAND'S 

 MADEIRA, ELAND'S PALE RED, POWELL. It is said to 

 have been found on the eastern shore of Virginia, by 

 Col. Bland, of that State, who presented scions to Bar- 

 tram , the botanist, by whom it was first cultivated. 

 Bunches rather long, loose, and often with small, im- 

 perfect berries ; berries round, on long stalks, hanging 

 rather thinly ; skin thin, at first pale green, but pale 

 red when ripe; flesh slightly pulpy, of a pleasant, 

 sprightly, delicate flavor, and with little or no musk 

 scent, but a slight astringency ; ripens late ; foliage 

 lighter green than that of Catawba, smoother and 

 more delicate. This vine is quite difficult of propaga- 

 tion by cuttings. The above description of this old 

 variety is from " Downing'' s Fruits of America." The 

 Bland did not succeed or ripen well in the North, and 

 has been lost and abandoned South. 



Blood's Black. (Labr.) Bunch medium, com- 

 pact ; berry medium, round, black, somewhat harsh 

 and foxy, but sweet. Very early and productive. 

 (Resembling Mary Ann, and has often been con- 

 founded with it. 



Blue Dyer. (Rip.) Bunch medium ; berries small 

 black, very dark juice, promises well for wine. Hus- 

 mann. (One of many unfulfilled promises !) 



Blue Favorite. (jEst.) A Southern grape. Vine 

 vigorous, productive ; bunch above medium ; berries 

 medium, round, blue-black, sweet, vinous ; much 

 coloring matter; ripe South in September (does not 

 ripen well North) ; said to be esteemed for wine making. 

 Downing. 



Blue Imperial. (Labr.) Origin uncertain. Vine 

 vigorous, free from mildew, not productive. Bunches 

 medium, short ; berry large, round, black ; flesh with a 

 hard acid centre or pulp ; ripens with Hartford. In- 

 ferior. Downing. 



Brant. (Arnold's Hybrid No. 8.) Seedling 

 of Clinton crossed with Black St. Peters. The 

 young leaves and shoots dark blood-red ; leaves 

 very deeply lobed, smooth on both sides. 

 Bunch and berry resembling the Clinton in ap- 

 pearance, but greatly superior in flavor when 

 perfectly ripe; skin thin, free from pulp, all 

 juice, sweet and vinous ; seeds small and few ; 

 perfectly hardy; vine a strong, healthy 

 grower and sufficiently productive. The bunch 

 hangs firmly to the vine till fall, and the ber 

 ries adhere well to the bunch. Our illustration 

 of this variety is from a specimen of average 

 size and shape. A very early and desirable 

 grape, in fact the earliest of all with us, and it 

 would be the most profitable if the birds would 

 not destroy the bunches as soon as they ripen. 

 For localities where grapes ripen later than 

 with us, and where birds are less destructive, 

 it is worthy of the attention of grape-growers. 



Our friend Champin gives us a very favora- 

 ble report of this variety in Northern France 

 (Dr6me), where the Brant and its sister the 

 Canada deserve to be cultivated extensively. 



They resist so far the Phylloxera, although, 

 one of their parents is undoubtedly of the Vi- 

 nifera class, and during the six years that he 

 cultivated them they have increased from year 

 to year in vigor and fruitfulness. These two 

 varieties have often been confounded with each- 

 other, and the following may serve to distin- 



BRANT. 



guish them : The Brant has the most sinuous r 

 deeply-cut and indented-lobed foliage of any- 

 American variety, while that of the Canada is 

 mostly but little indented and lobed, while- 



