52 



BTJSHBERG CATALOGUE. 



EUMELAN. 



Eumelan. ("Good black" grape.) 

 This variety was found as a chance seedling at 

 Fishkill, N. Y., where it has been in cultivation 

 (in the garden of Messrs. Thome) for many 

 years, yielding abundant crops of grapes, re- 

 markable both for goodness and earliness. The 

 original vines were purchased by Dr. C. W. 

 Grant, in 1866, (now Hasbrouck & Bushnell, 

 lona Island,) from whom we obtained the 

 plants of this valuable variety, probably the 

 best early grape we have got. We give the 

 description from the circular of its propagator, 

 Dr. Grant, leaving out, however, all excessive 

 praise, which, in our opinion, has damaged his 

 success more than all his opponents. Bunches 

 of good size, elegant form, and proper degree 



*By a mere typographical error in our first edition 

 (1869), the Eumelan was designated as Labr., and to our 

 regret this error was ever since copied and repeated by 

 many others who ought to know better; but while this 

 may be a pardonable oversight in those who merely 

 copied our descriptions, it is evidently more than an 

 oversight in those who undertake to arrange and de 

 scribe our native Tines by species and still place Eumelan 

 among Labrusca. 



of compactness ; berries large medium 

 size, round, black, with fine bloom, ad- 

 hering firmly to the bunch long after 

 ripening ; flesh tender, melting, all going 

 to wine-like juice under slight pressure 

 of the tongue ; ripening very early (even 

 before the Hartford Prolific) and evenly 

 to the center. Flavor pure and refined, 

 very sugary, rich and vinous, with a 

 large degree of that refreshing quality 

 that belongs distinctively to the best 

 foreign wine grapes. Roots abundant, 

 thick, spreading, and of medium tough- 

 ness ; liber thick but firm. Vine a strong 

 grower, producing remarkably short- 

 jointed wood, with numerous and strong 

 laterals; buds large and prominent; 

 wood hard with a small pith; leaves 

 large, thick, dark colored, firm in tex- 

 ture (it strikingly resembles Elsinburg) 

 and though subject to mildew in some 

 localities and unfavorable seasons, we 

 can recommend it as a very fine, hardy, 

 healthy, early grape. The American 

 Horticultural Annual for 1869, says of 

 the Eumelan : This variety has been 

 tested in several localities. It has proved 

 with us, near New York, remarkably 

 healthy in foliage, and has taken sev- 

 eral premiums as the'ibest black grape 

 at various exhibitions. Then again re- 

 ports came from many localities, that it 

 has. failed to meet public expectations. 

 In our own vineyards at Bushberg, it 

 has proved all that was claimed for 'it, being 

 healthy, hardy, early, productive, and of very 

 fine quality. 



Perhaps with no other variety is it so import- 

 ant to set out only good and strong plants in 

 the first place, as with this one; and we think 

 that the great diversity of opinion now exist- 

 ing in regard to this grape is due to the fact 

 that a large number of the vines of this variety 

 sent, out have been poor and feeble plants, 

 which have never come to any good thereafter, 

 and never will. 



The Eumelan makes a superior red wine (ac- 

 cording to Mottier, North-East, Pennsylvania, 

 must 93, and at the test held at Hammonds- 

 port as high as 104 with only 4 per mill, acid), 

 and should it prove more generally successful, 

 it will rank high among wine grapes. 



We give a figure of a bunch and leaf, re- 

 duced in size, and a single berry of full natural 

 size. 



