Vine vigorous, hardy, productive, susceptible to mildew. Canes long, numerous, thick, dark brown with heavy bloom; nodes flattened; shoots glabrous; tendrils intermittent, bifid or trifid. Leaves large; upper surface light green, glossy, smooth; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; lobes one to three, terminus acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow, sometimes closed and overlapping; basal sinus usually lacking; lateral sinus shallow, narrow; teeth shallow. Flowers open in mid-season, self-sterile; stamens reflexed.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters short, very broad, tapering, often subdividing into several parts, compact; pedicel with small warts. Berries large, oval, dark purplish-black, glossy, covered with heavy bloom, adherent; skin thin, tough, adherent; flesh pale green, translucent, tender, stringy, vinous, pleasant-flavored; good. Seeds adherent, one to five, large, deeply notched, with enlarged neck, brown.

BEACON

(Lincec.u.mii, Labrusca)

Another of T. V. Munson's hybrids is Beacon. It is not well adapted to northern regions but does very well in the South. The vine is vigorous and bears a handsome, compact ma.s.s of foliage which retains its color and freshness through drouths and heat. Munson grew Beacon in 1887 from seed of Big Berry (a variety of Lincec.u.mii) pollinated by Concord, the vine bearing first in 1889.

Vine vigorous, precariously hardy, productive. Canes short, slender, light brown. Leaves healthy, thick, dark green, sometimes rugose; veins showing indistinctly through the slight p.u.b.escence of the lower surface. Flowers open in mid-season, on plan of five or six, self-fertile.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, slender, cylindrical, usually high-shouldered, compact. Berries variable in size, round, purplish-black, dull with heavy bloom, firm; skin tough, adherent with a large amount of purplish-red pigment, astringent; flesh tender, aromatic, spicy, vinous, mildly subacid; good. Seeds free, large, broad, blunt, notched.

BERCKMANS

(Vulpina, Labrusca, Bourquiniana)

In Berckmans we have the fruit of Delaware on the vine of Clinton. The berry and bunch resemble Delaware in shape; the fruit is of the same color; bunch and berry are larger; the grapes keep longer; the flesh is firmer but the quality is not so good, the flesh lacking tenderness and richness in comparison with Delaware. The vine of Berckmans is not only more vigorous, but is less subject to mildew than that of Delaware. The vine characters are not, however, as good as those of Clinton. The variety is poorly adapted to some soils, and on these the grapes do not color well. In spite of many good qualities, Berckmans is but an amateur's grape. The name commemorates the viticultural labors of P. J. Berckmans, a contemporary and friend of A. P. Wylie, of Chester, South Carolina, who originated the variety. Berckmans came from Delaware seed fertilized by Clinton, the seed having been sown in 1868.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, numerous, slender, dark brown; nodes prominent, flattened; internodes short; shoots glabrous; tendrils intermittent, long, bifid. Leaves small, thin; upper surface light green, smooth; lower surface pale green, glabrous; lobes one to three, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus shallow, wide; basal sinus usually lacking; lateral sinus shallow.

Flowers open early, self-fertile; stamens upright.

Fruit ripens with Delaware. Cl.u.s.ters shouldered, compact, slender; pedicel long, slender with few warts; brush short, light green.

Berries small, oval, Delaware-red, darker when well ripened, covered with thin bloom, persistent; skin thin, tough, adherent, astringent; flesh pale yellowish-green, translucent, fine-grained, tender, melting, vinous, sweet, sprightly; very good. Seeds free, one to four, small, broad, blunt, brown.

BLACK EAGLE

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

The fruit of Black Eagle is of the best, but the vine lacks in vigor, hardiness and productiveness and is self-sterile. Bunch and berry are large and attractive. The season is about with Concord. Black Eagle has wholly failed as a commercial variety, and its several weaknesses prevent amateurs from growing it widely. The variety originated with Stephen W. Underhill, Croton-on-Hudson, New York, from seed of Concord pollinated by Black Prince. It fruited first in 1866.

Vine vigorous, precariously hardy, unproductive. Canes rough, thick, reddish-brown with light bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened internodes long; tendrils continuous, long, bifid or trifid.

Leaves thick; upper surface dark green, glossy, smooth to rugose; lobes five; terminal lobe acute; petiolar sinus deep; lateral sinus wide, narrowing towards top, deep. Flowers open in mid-season, self-sterile; stamens reflexed.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, tapering, single-or double-shouldered, compact; pedicel long, slender with few warts; brush short, pale green. Berries variable in size, oval, black, glossy with thick bloom; skin tender, thin, adherent with wine-colored pigment; flesh pale green, translucent, tender, vinous; good. Seeds free, one to four, large.

BLACK HAMBURG

(Vinifera)

Black Hamburg (Plate VI) is an old European sort, long the mainstay in forcing-houses in Belgium, England and America and now popular out of doors in California. It is an excellent table-grape but, while it keeps well, its tender skin does not permit its being shipped far, especially when grown out of doors. The vine is subject to disease.

The following description of the fruit is made from grapes grown in the greenhouse:

Bunches very large, often a foot in length and weighing several pounds; very broad at the shoulder and gradually tapering to a point; compact, oftentimes too compact; berries very large, round or slightly round-oval; skin rather thick; dark purple becoming black at full maturity; flesh firm, juicy, sweet and rich; quality very good or best. Season early in the forcing-house but rather late out of doors.

BLACK MALVOISE

(Vinifera)

This variety is rather widely grown in California as an early table-grape and might be worth trying in eastern grape regions. While the fruit is not of the best quality, it is good. The following description is compiled:

Vine vigorous, healthy and productive; wood long-jointed, rather slender, light brown. Leaves of medium size, oval, evenly and deeply five-lobed; basal sinus open, with nearly parallel sides; upper surface smooth, almost glabrous; lower surface slightly tomentose on the veins and veinlets. Bunches large, loose, branching; berries large, oblong, reddish black with faint bloom; flesh firm, juicy, crisp; flavor lacking in richness and character; quality not high. Season early, keeping and shipping but poorly.

BLACK MOROCCO

(Vinifera)

Black Morocco very generally meets the approval of grape-growers on the Pacific slope without being a prime favorite for either home use or commerce. The grapes are not high enough in quality for a home vineyard, and, while they ship well, are hard to handle because of the large size and rigidity of the bunches. Another fault is that the vines are subject to root-knot. The chief a.s.set of the variety is handsome appearance of fruit. This variety is remarkable for the number of second-crop bunches which it produces on the laterals. The following description is compiled:

Vine very vigorous, productive; canes spreading, few. Leaves medium to small, very deeply five-lobed; the younger leaves truncate at base, giving them a semi-circular outline, with long, sharp teeth alternating with very small ones; glabrous, or nearly so, on both sides. Bunches very large, short, shouldered, compact and rigid; berries very large, round, often misshapen from compression; dull purple, lacking color in the center of the bunch; flesh firm, crisp, neutral in flavor, lacking in richness; quality rather low. Season late, keeping and shipping well.

BRIGHTON

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Brighton (Plate VIII) is one of the few Labrusca-Vinifera hybrids which have attained prominence in commercial vineyards. It ranks as one of the leading amateur grapes in eastern America and is among the ten or twelve chief commercial sorts of this region. Its good points are: for the fruit, high quality; for the vine, vigorous growth, productiveness, adaptability to various soils and ability to withstand fungi. Brighton has two serious defects which keep it from taking higher rank as a commercial variety: it deteriorates in quality very quickly after maturity, so that it cannot be kept for more than a few days at its best, hence cannot well be shipped to distant markets; and it is self-sterile to a more marked degree than any other commonly-grown grape. Brighton is a seedling of Diana Hamburg pollinated by Concord, raised by Jacob Moore, Brighton, New York. The original vine fruited first in 1870.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive, subject to mildew. Canes long, numerous, light brown; nodes enlarged, usually flattened; internodes long; tendrils continuous, long, bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, dull, smooth; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; lobes three when present, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus intermediate in depth and width; lateral sinus shallow; teeth narrow. Flowers open late, self-sterile; stamens reflexed.

Fruit mid-season. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, broad, tapering, heavily shouldered, loose; pedicel thick; brush pale green with brown tinge, thick, short. Berries irregular, large, oval, light red, glossy with heavy bloom, persistent, soft; skin thick, tender, adherent, astringent; flesh green, transparent, tender, stringy, melting, aromatic, vinous, sweet; very good. Seeds free, one to five, broad, light brown.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE XXIV.--Moore Early (3/5).]

BRILLIANT

(Labrusca, Vinifera, Bourquiniana)

Brilliant is a cross between Lindley and Delaware. In cl.u.s.ter and size of berry it resembles Lindley; in color and quality of fruit it is about the same as Delaware, differing chiefly in having more astringency in the skin. Its season is about with Delaware. The grapes do not crack or sh.e.l.l, therefore ship well, and have very good keeping qualities, especially on the vine where they often hang for weeks. The vine is vigorous and hardy. The defects which have kept Brilliant from becoming one of the standard commercial sorts are: marked susceptibility to fungi, variability in size of cl.u.s.ter, unevenness in ripening and unproductiveness. In favorable situations this variety pleases the amateur, and the commercial grower often finds it profitable. The seed which produced Brilliant was planted by T. V.

Munson, Denison, Texas, in 1883 and the variety was introduced in 1887.

Vine vigorous, hardy, rather unproductive. Canes long, numerous, thick, dark brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils intermittent, long, bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, dull, rugose; lower surface gray-green, downy; obscurely three-lobed with terminal lobe acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow; basal and lateral sinuses obscure and shallow when present; teeth intermediate in depth and width. Flowers open late, self-fertile; stamens upright.

Fruit early mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters medium, blunt, cylindrical, usually shouldered, compact; pedicel short, thick with a few small warts; brush short, thick, pale green with reddish tinge. Berries round, dark red, glossy with thin bloom, strongly adherent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent; flesh pale green, transparent, juicy, stringy, fine-grained, vinous, sweet; good. Seeds clinging, one to four, large, broad, elongated, plump, light brown.

BROWN

(Labrusca)

In spite of many encomiums in the past quarter century, Brown has not received favorable recognition from fruit-growers. The quality is not high, the berries shatter badly, and the vine is lacking in vigor.

Brown is a seedling of Isabella which came up in a yard at Newburgh, New York, about 1884.