CHAPTER. AAV 
GRAPE VARIETIES IN CALIFORNIA. 
Large collections of grape varieties have been brought into 
California during the last forty-five years. They were sought 
in all‘grape countries, and from such wide experimental plant- 
ing a few have survived in popular esteem and are now chiefly 
grown. Being derived from different countries, they came 
bearing many names. Some of these have been preserved, 
some wholly lost, and replaced with local appellations. The re- 
sult is that our grape nomenclature is full of confusion. Some 
varieties have been identified by the means of the standard 
French grape literature; others are apparently unknown to the 
compilers of that literature. It is, therefore, impossible to-day 
to determine a number of our most popular table and shipping 
grapes, as well as some of the wine varieties. In order to char- 
acterize our leading table grapes. descriptions will be quoted 
from the best available local authorities, as follows :— 
Early Black July; syns. Madeleine, Madeleine Noir, etc.—‘‘Leaves 
rather small, light green above and beneath; bunches small and compact; 
berries small, quite round; skin thick, black, covered with a blue bloom; 
flavor moderately sweet, but not rich nor perfumed. The earliest grape, 
and chiefly valued for the dessert on that account.’”’—/yatt. 
Early Madeleine; syn. Madeleine Angevine.—‘Moderate grower, with 
long-jointed, brown wood; leaf medium, deeply lobed, dark green above, 
tomentose below; young points reddish, woolly, slender; bunch medium, 
compact, shouldered; berry medium, oblong, yellowish green, transparent, 
rather thick skin, sweet and juicy. Vine a shy bearer when frost is 
prevalent.’’—Husmann. 
White July; syn. Luglienga.—‘Vine strong-growing and sensitive to 
frost; leaves of medium size, deeply five-lobed, dark green, glabrous on 
both sides, sharply toothed, the terminal tooth of each lobe very long and 
acuminate; bunches of medium size, well filled; berries of medium size, 
oval, at first green, becoming yellow with overripeness, with thin skin, crisp, 
firm flesh, and agreeable flavor.’—Bioletti. The Luglienga, which means 
July grape, is one of the earliest grapes known. 
Chasselas Dore; syn. Fontainebleau, Sweetwater.—‘A rather vigorous 
grower, with medium or somewhat slender canes of a reddish-brown color; 
young shoots of garnet color, nearly or quite glabrous; leaves rather be- 
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