DESCRIPTION OF YAEIETIES. 



37 



Barry. (Rogers' No. 43.) One of the most 

 attractive of his Hybrids. Bunch large, rather 

 broad and compact; berry medium, roundish; 

 color black ; flesh tender, of a sweet, pleasant 

 flavor; skin thin, somewhat astringent. Vine 

 as vigorous, healthy and hardy as any one of 

 Rogers' Hybrids. Very productive and early, 

 earlier than the Concord. 



Baxter. (^&st.) Bunch, large, and long; "berry below 

 medium, black ; very late in ripening, hardy and pro- 

 ductive; not fit for table, but may be valuable for wine. 



Blu/ton Wine Co. 



Belvidere. (Lair.} Originated by Dr. Lake, of 

 Belvidere, Ills., will probably be a valuable market va- 

 riety, on account of extreme earliness, large size and 

 tine appearance. It is an improvement in bunch and 

 berry upon Hartford Prolific, but in quality is not much, 

 if any better; like Hartford, it shows a tendency to fall 

 from the bunch, especially if a little over-ripe; Being 

 in appearance much like Hartford Prolific, only said to 

 ripen a little earlier, a description is unnecessary. It 

 is said to be of very vigorous growth., perfectly hardy 

 and healthy, and very productive; but so is the Hart- 

 ford also, and, we think, we have more than enough 

 in one variety ot such poor quality. 



Berks, or Lehigh. (Labr.) Bunch large, shoul- 

 dered, compact; lerry large, round, red, little pulp, 

 good quality; vine vigorous grower, similar to Catawba, 

 of which it is a seedling, and perhaps an improvement 

 in size and quality; but also more subject to disease. 



Bird's Kgrgf. Probably a seedling of Catawba, 

 somewhat similar to Anna. Bunch long, pointed; lerry 

 oval, whitish, with brown specks; flesh pulpy; only 

 good, curiosity. Downing. 



Black Defiance. (Underbill's 8-8) A splen- 

 did, late table grape, about the best black table 

 grape we have, with us more desirable than 

 Senasqua. If we are rightly informed, it is a 

 cross between Black St. Peters and Concord. 

 Bunch and berries large, above Concord in size ; 

 black, with a fine bloom ; three weeks later than 

 Concord, and much better in quality. 



Black Eagle. (Underbill's 8-12.) A Hy- 

 brid of Labr. and Vinifera. A new, early table 

 grape, of best quality, not much earlier than 

 Concord, but far superior to that variety in qual- 

 ity. The leaf is one of the most beautiful we 

 know of, very firm, dark green, deeply lobed, 

 of the shape of the foreign. 



The vine is of very erect and vigorous 

 growth, hardy and healthy, so far free from mil- 

 dew and rot ; roots straight and smooth, almost 

 tough, with a medium fiber; canes remarkably 

 straight and upright, with numerous, but small 

 laterals ; wood firm with medium pith ; bunch 

 large, moderately compact; berries large, oval, 

 black, with blue bloom ; flesh rich and melting, 



with little pulp. With Mr. Underhill the fruit 

 set imperfectly, but it did not show that fault 

 here, and must have been due to unfavorable 

 weather during its floresence at Croton Point. 

 We consider it one of the most promising va- 

 rieties. We give on the following page a full 

 size figure of its bunch and leaf, originally made 

 for Downing. 



Black Hawk. A seedling from the Con- 

 cord, raised by Samuel Miller. " Bunch large, 

 rather loose ; berry large, black, round, juicy, 

 sweet; pulp very tender; ripens full as early as 

 the Concord, is superior in quality, and seems 

 to be healthy and hardy." George Husmann. 

 We find it a week earlier than Concord. It has 

 the remarkable peculiarity that its leaf is so dark 

 a green as to appear almost black. 



Bland, (Labr. f ) Syn. ELAND'S VIRGINIA, 

 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 Mr. Bartram, the botanist, by whom it was 

 first cultivated. Bunches rather long, loose, and often 

 with small, imperfect 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 seen-, but a slight astringency; ripens late; 

 foliage lighter green than that of Catawba, smoother 

 and more delicate. This vine is quite diflicult of pro- 

 pagation 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, but we still recog- 

 nize in it the type of some of our present varieties. 



Black King:. (Labr.') A hardy and vigorous early 

 grape, of medium size; sweet but foxy. Strong. 



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

 compact; berry medium, round, black, some- 

 what harsh and foxy, but sweet. Very early 

 and productive, and therefore valuable for early 

 marketing. (Resembling Mary Ann, and has 

 often been confounded with it. 



Blue Dyer. (Cord.) Bunch medium; ber- 

 ries small, black, very dark juice, promises well 

 for wine. Husmdnn. 



Blue Favorite. A Southern grape. Vine vigor- 

 ous, productive; bunch above medium; berries medium, 

 round, blue-black, sweet, vinous; much coloring mat- 

 ter; ripe South in September; (does not ripen well 

 North,) said to be esteemed for wine making. Dmoning. 



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 . Infe- 

 rior . Downing. 



