DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 199 



name. The vine is pretty hardy, and perhaps 

 the rankest grower of all our native kinds, the 

 wood, leaves, and fruit being of extraordinary 

 size. The bunch is extra large, compact, and 

 shouldered. The color is dark purple, with a 

 light bloom. The berry is extra large, (often 

 an inch in diameter,) round, and has a moder- 

 ately thick skin. The flesh has a fibrous cen- 

 ter, small in proportion to the size of the 

 berry, but is tender and juicy near the skin. 

 The juice is sweet, and a little sprightly, but 

 not vinous or high flavored. It resembles the 

 Isabella in quality, and is no doubt a seedling 

 from it. For a fruit of only moderate quality, 

 its large size becomes a positive fault. Such a 

 mass of flesh, of only negative goodness, when 

 taken into the mouth, becomes really distasteful 

 from its quantity. The bunch, however, is mag- 

 nificent, resembling a well-grown Black Ham- 

 burgh. The vine is somewhat tender when 

 young, and should always be covered. The 

 fruit ripens about a week before the Isabella. 

 The Ontario is identical with the Union Vil- 

 lage. 



EEBECCA. 



The Rebecca originated with Mrs. Peake, 'of 

 Hudson, N. Y., after whom it was named. 



