92 Delaware. 



BUSHBERG CATALOGUE. 



Downing. 



beautiful light red or purplish-maroon, covered 

 with a thin whitish bloom, and very translu- 

 cent. It is without harshness or acidity in its 

 pulp, exceedingly sweet, but sprightly, vinous 

 and aromatic. Ripens early, about eight days 

 later than Hartford Prolific. Quality best, for 

 the table as well as for wine. Must 100- 118. 

 Acid 5 to 6 per mill. 



When the former editions of this Catalogue 

 were published, seedlings from Delaware and 

 its crosses with other varieties were but little 

 known, though Innumerable attempts had been 

 made to raise them. Expectations to pro- 

 duce therefrom a grape of superior value, larger 

 only in size of bunch and berries, yet of the qua- 

 lity of the Delaware, seemed doomed to disap- 

 pointment. Most of its seedlings showed more 

 or less of the " Fox grape. 1 ' 1 This fact and other 

 characteristics (see Manual Table of Grape 

 Seeds, &c.) convince us of its origin, in part, 

 from this species, although many eminent hor- 

 ticulturists and botanists class the Delaware 

 with ^Estivalis (others with Riparia). It is 

 true that the Delaware leaf seems more closely 

 allied to ^Estivalis ; its wood is harder, more 

 difficult to propagate, and the tendrils are not 

 continuous (nor are they regularly intermit- 

 tent) ; but we find a remarkable parallel case 

 in " Sheppard's Delaware," raised from seed 

 of Catawba by J. N. Sheppard, in 1852. From 

 him Charles Downing received it, with its 

 history, and says, "the vine and fruit are simi- 

 lar in all respects to Delaware." The "WHITE 

 DELAWARE," raised by G. W. Campbell from 

 seed of Delaware, has large, thick foliage 

 "resembling Catawba more than Delaware." 

 Another White Delaware seedling raised by 

 H. Jaeger, of Neosho, shows the same charac- 

 teristics, and the fruit has a musky flavor ; 

 probably it has not proved valuable, or else 

 more would have been heard of it. Of late, 

 however, several very promising hybrids of 

 Delaware crossed with Concord and other 

 Labruscas have been produced, especially the 

 DUCHESS. (See Descr. of this Far.; also List C 

 of Hybr. in Manual, p. 28.) 



J. Rommel has lately produced a BLACK 

 DELAWARE seedling which is very early, of 

 fine quality, and may become valuable, as it 

 seems to do well in localities and soils where 

 the old Delaware fails. Two White Seedlings 

 of Delaware, one named KALISTA, the other 

 LACCBISSA, are reported by J. Sacksteder, of 

 Louisville, Ky.; they are said to be of superior 

 quality, rich in flavor, better growers than 

 their parent and to hold their foliage until fall. 



Devereux. (^Est.) Syn., BLACK JULY, LIN- 

 COLN,? BLUE GRAPE, SHERRY, THURMOND, 

 HART, TULEY, MCLEAN, HUSSON (LENOIR, 

 incorrectly; the name BLACK JULY is also- 

 objectionable, being used by English ampelo- 

 graphs for the ISCHIA NOIK, or NOIR DE JUIL- 

 LET, a PINEAU variety Vinifera with which 

 the DEVEREUX has no resemblance.) A south- 

 ern grape ; belongs to the same class as Herbe- 

 mont and Cunningham. Where this variety 

 will succeed it is one of our best wine grapes, 

 producing a white wine of exquisite flavor. It is 

 somewhat subject to mildew, very tender, and 

 requires covering in the winter. North of Mis- 

 souri it should not be tried, but here it suc- 

 ceeds admirably on southern slopes, in very 

 favorable seasons ; never on wet, cold soils. 

 Our southern grape-growers especially should 

 plant some of it. Bunch long, loose, slightly 

 shouldered ; berry black, below medium, round; 

 skin fine, tender ; flesh meaty, juicy, without 

 pulp, and vinous ; quality best. Vine a strong 

 grower, and, when free from mildew, moder- 

 ately productive ; wood long-jointed, purplish- 

 brown at first, of deeper purplish-red when 

 ripe ; with bi-forked, intermittent tendrils 

 these, as also the leaf-stalk, are tinged on their 

 base with a purplish-brown hue, like the young 

 canes ; the buds are covered with a russet 

 down, unfolding with that rosy complexion 

 peculiar to the young downy leaves of most 

 .33stivalis. The developed foliage is of medium 

 size, entire (not lobed), considerably wrinkled, 

 turgid, with somewhat abundant hair-tufts on 

 the lower veins. 



Don Juan. One of Rickett's Hybrid Seedlings, 

 much like its parent lona. F. R. Elliott says: ''It 

 is better than any known hardy grape of its color ; is 

 about the size, in berry, of Rogers' 15, a deeper color, 

 and a larger and better bunch ; the flesh is vinous, 

 sweet and sparkling." (See "Rickett's Seedlings.") 



Downing-, or Charles Downing. A Hybrid ob- 

 tained by James H. Ricketts, Newburgh, N. Y., from 

 the Croton fertilized by Black Hamburg. "Bunches 

 large, sometimes shouldered ; berries large, slightly 

 oval, nearly black with light bloom ; flesh tender, 

 breaking somewhat like the foreign sorts ; in flavor it 

 is first rate, being sweet, with just enough sprightli- 

 ness to prevent cloying the palate." Fuller. 



The vine is said to be a vigorous grower, with healthy 

 foliage. Its parents forebode the reverse. According 

 to other reports, it was produced from Israella crossed 

 with Muscat-Hamburg. It has an unusually long 

 bunch and large, oblong berries a remarkable grape. 

 Mr. Ricketts must have valued it highly, else he 

 would not have given it the name of our revered great 

 Pomologist. But it is not disseminated. 



