DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 



67 



vines. More desirable as a wine than as a table 

 grape. Vines healthy, hardy, and very produc- 

 tive on old, established vines ; moderately vig- 

 orous; foliage abundant; wood short jointed. 

 It was recorded by three competent judges, Mr. 

 Geo. Leick being one, that its must weighed 94, 

 with acid 4 per mill. 



Neff. (Lair.} Syn. KEUKA. Origin on the farm 

 of Mr. Neff, near Keuka, on Crooked Lake, N. Y- 

 Bunch medium; berry medium, dark copper red. Flesh 

 pulpy and somewhat foxy. Good native, early. 



Neosho. (jffistivalis.} Found growing 

 wild on the farm of Mr. E. Schoenborn, near 

 Neosho, Southwest Missouri. In 1868 Mr. Her- 

 man Jaeger sent grafts of this (and other vari- 

 eties of wild summer grapes) to that pioneer of 

 Missouri vintners, Hon. Fred. Munch, who, 

 finding it to be of superior quality, called it 

 the "Neosho." Cultivated since that time in 

 Warren and Newton counties, it never failed at 

 either place to produce large and healthy crops, 

 and gained in favor every year. Mr. S. Miller 

 says : 



"Neosho is a treasure to the land. It is a 

 true JEstivalis in all its habits, resembling Nor- 

 ton in wood and foliage, yet quite distinct. 

 For our climate and further south it promises 

 to be among the white wine grapes what the 

 Cynthiana is among the red wine grapes." 



This is the highest praise, the best prognosti- 

 cation that can be given. Bunch and berries 

 are of the same size as Norton's *^the bunches 

 compact, shouldered, heart-shaped. The skin 

 of the berries is thin, black with blue bloom, 

 very dark, yet contains but very little coloring 

 matter and less tannin ; the pulp is meaty, very 

 sweet and spicy, with but little acidity. Seeds 

 rather large. The wood of the Neosho is ex- 

 tremely hard and tough ; it will not propagate 

 from cuttings. The vine is a most vigorous 

 grower when once established on its own roots, 

 or successfully grafted. Succeeds, so far, 

 equally well on prairie, hill or bottom; re- 

 quires plenty of room and prefers spur pruning 

 on old wood. It is so hardy that it may be said 

 to resist all the extremes of our changeable cli- 

 mate in Missouri. The roots are strong, wiry, 

 and exempt from injury by Phylloxera. The 

 foliage is coarse, but of beautiful color dark 

 and glossy green, and retains its freshness till 

 frost sets in. The must of this remarkable new 

 grape showed 110 on Oechsle's scale, and only 

 5i mills acid on Twitchel's acidometer. Al- 

 though fermented on the husk for two days, the 

 color of the wine is a beautiful golden yellow, 

 has an exquisite bouquet, and a most peculiar, 



very fine aroma, somewhat similar to Maderia 

 wine. This variety being moreover unexcelled 

 in fruitfulness, even in an almost poor but 

 warm and loose soil, promises to become one of 

 the leading varieties among American grapes, 

 and with roots quite invulnerable by the Phyl- 

 loxera may even become of great importance 

 for France. 



Great thanks are due to Mr. Jaeger and Papa 

 Munch for having introduced this variety ; but 

 there exist only a few vines of it, and its propa- 

 gation is so difficult that. the high price will 

 prevent its becoming as generally known and 

 planted as it deserves. Nor should it be planted 

 far north of St. Louis ; it is a southern grape, 

 ripens with Norton's Virginia, and wherever 

 this does not ripen it is useless to try it. 



Newark. A Hybrid of Clinton and Vinifera, raised 

 in Newark , New Jersey . Vine of vigorous growth, 

 hardy, very productive. Bunches long, loose, shoul- 

 dered; berries medium, dark, almost black, sweet, juicy 

 and vinous, of pleasant taste; but however promising 

 during a few years, it becomes soon diseased, its fruit 

 subject to rot, and perishes, like its European parent ; 

 it cannot be recommended. 



Newport. (^Est.~) Said to be a seedling from and 

 similar to Herbemont. 



North America. (Labr.) Bunch small, shoul- 

 dered; berry round, black, juicy but foxy. Ripens 

 about with Hartford Prolific. Vine, vigorous, unpro- 

 ductive. 



Northern Muscadine. t (Labr.) A seed- 

 ling raised by the Shakers of New Lebanon, N. 

 Y. Opinions 'differ widely about its value. 

 Papa Munch, (as we call our venerable friend, 

 the Hon. Frederic Munch,) places it as a ta*ble 

 grape next to the Diana and Yenango, and as a 

 wine grape far above them. Bunch medium, 

 very compact, almost round; berry medium to 

 large, dark amber-colored or brownish red, flesh 

 pulpy and foxy, sweet, skin thick. Berries apt 

 to drop from the bunch when ripe. Kipens 

 early about two weeks before Catawba. Vine 

 of luxuriant growth, hardy and productive, free 

 from rot. Its must will probably be found val- 

 uable to mix, in small proportion, with some 

 other variety to which it would impart, we be- 

 lieve, a fine Muscat flavor. 



North Carolina. {Labr.} This seedling 

 originated with that veteran pomologist, J. B. 

 Garber. of Columbia, Pennsylvania; belongs to 

 the Isabella type, and is a showy market grape 

 of fair quality. Bunch medium to large, occa- 

 sionally shouldered, moderately compact; 

 berries large, oblong, black with slight blue 

 bloom; flesh pulpy but sweet; skin thick; 



