ISABELLA

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

_Alexander, Black Cape, Christie's Improved Isabella, Conckling's Wilding, Constantia, Dorchester, Gibb's Grape, Hensell's Long Island, Payne's Early, Helene, Woodward_

Isabella (Plate XX) is now of little more than historical interest, it having been one of the mainstays of American viticulture. In appearance, the fruit of Isabella is fully as attractive as that of any black grape, the cl.u.s.ters being large and well formed and the berries glossy black with thick bloom. The flavor is good, but the thick skin and muskiness in taste are objectionable. The grapes keep and ship well. Isabella is surpa.s.sed in vine characters by many other kinds, notably Concord, which has taken its place. The l.u.s.trous green, ample foliage which remains late in the season, and the vigor of the vine, make this variety an attractive ornamental, well adapted for growing on arbors, porches and trellises. The origin of Isabella is not known. It was obtained by William Prince, Flushing, Long Island, about 1816 from Mrs. Isabella Gibbs, Brooklyn, New York.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes short, numerous with heavy p.u.b.escence, thick, light brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils continuous, long, bifid or trifid.

Leaves thick; upper surface dark green, smooth, glossy; lower surface whitish-green, heavily p.u.b.escent; lobes three when present with terminal lobe obtuse; petiolar sinus shallow, narrow, often closed, overlapping; basal sinus usually wanting; lateral sinus shallow, narrow, frequently notched; teeth shallow, wide. Flowers self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps and ships well. Cl.u.s.ters large, cylindrical, frequently single-shouldered; pedicel slender, smooth; brush long, yellowish-green. Berries medium to large, oval, black with heavy bloom, persistent, soft; skin thick, tough, adherent, astringent; flesh pale green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, meaty, some foxiness, sweet; good. Seeds one to three, large, broad, distinctly notched, short, brown with yellow tips.

ISABELLA SEEDLING

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Isabella Seedling is an early, vigorous, productive offspring of Isabella. In fruit characters it greatly resembles its parent, but ripens its crop earlier and has a more compact bunch. Like that of its parent, the fruit is of good quality and keeps remarkably well. This seedling is now grown more than Isabella and, while not of any considerable commercial importance, is far more deserving attention as a market grape than some of the poorly flavored kinds more generally grown. There are several varieties under this name. Two are mentioned by Warder; one of Ohio and one of New York origin. The Isabella Seedling here described originated with G. A. Ensenberger, Bloomington, Illinois, in 1889.

Vine vigorous, healthy, hardy, productive. Canes long, thick, dark brown, often with a red tinge, with thin bloom; nodes prominent, flattened; internodes long; tendrils intermittent or continuous, bifid. Leaves healthy, large, thick; upper surface green, dull; lower surface pale green or grayish-green, occasionally with a tinge of bronze, p.u.b.escent. Flowers self-fertile; stamens upright.

Fruit early, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, slender, cylindrical, usually single-shouldered, loose, compact. Berries large, oval, often pear-shaped, dull black with thick bloom, persistent, soft; skin thick with some red pigment; flesh pale green, juicy, tender, coa.r.s.e, vinous; good. Seeds numerous, free, large, broad, notched, dark brown.

ISRAELLA

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Israella came from C. W. Grant contemporaneously with Iona and was heralded as the earliest good grape in cultivation. For several years after its introduction, it was widely tried but was almost everywhere discarded because of the poor quality and unattractive appearance of the fruit and lack of vigor, hardiness and productiveness in the vine.

Grant grew Israella from seed of Isabella planted in 1885.

Vine lacking in vigor, unproductive. Canes slender, dark brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils continuous, bifid. Leaves large; upper surface light green, dull, rugose; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; lobes one to five, faint; petiolar sinus deep, narrow; teeth shallow, sharp; stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, of medium length and breadth, tapering, often single-shouldered, compact, frequently with many abortive fruits. Berries of medium size, round-oval, black or purplish-black with thin bloom, inclined to drop, soft; skin thick, tough with a large amount of purplish-red pigment; flesh pale green, juicy, stringy, mild, sweet from skin to center; fair in quality. Seeds free, medium in size, notched, blunt, light brown, often covered with grayish warts.

IVES

(Labrusca, aestivalis)

_Ives' Madeira, Ives' Seedling, Kittredge_

Ives has a high reputation as a grape for making red wine, being surpa.s.sed only by Norton for this purpose. The vine is hardy, healthy, vigorous and fruitful. The fruit is poor in quality, colors long before ripe, has a foxy odor, and the flesh is tough and pulpy. The bunches are compact, with well-formed, jet-black grapes, which make them attractive. The vine is easily propagated and is adapted to any good grape soil, but is so rampant in growth that it is difficult to manage. The variety is not widely cultivated. Ives was grown by Henry Ives from seed planted in 1840 in his garden in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive. Canes long, thick, reddish-brown with thin bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils continuous, bifid or trifid. Leaves large; upper surface dark green, dull, rugose; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent; lobes three to five when present with terminal one acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow, sometimes closed and overlapping; basal sinus shallow; lateral sinus narrow; teeth shallow.

Fruit late mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, tapering, frequently single-shouldered, compact, often with numerous abortive berries; pedicel slender with numerous small warts; brush short, slender, pale with a reddish-brown tinge. Berries oval, jet-black with heavy bloom, very persistent, firm; skin tough, adherent, wine-colored pigment, astringent; flesh pale green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tough, foxy; good. Seeds adherent, one to four, small, often abortive, broad, short, blunt, plump, brown.

JAMES

(Rotundifolia)

James is one of the largest of the Rotundifolia grapes and probably the best general-purpose variety of this species. The vine is noted for vigor and productiveness. It cannot be grown north of Maryland. It thrives in sandy loam soils with clay subsoil. The variety was found by B. W. M. James, Pitt County, North Carolina. It was introduced about 1890 and was placed on the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1899.

Vine vigorous, healthy, productive. Canes slender, numerous, long, slightly trailing. Leaves of medium size, thick, smooth, leathery, cordate, as broad as long, with a serrate margin. Flowers open late; stamens reflexed.

Fruit ripens late, hangs on the vine for three weeks, keeps well.

Cl.u.s.ters small, containing from four to twelve berries, irregular, loose. Berries large, three-fourths to one and one-fourth inches in diameter, round, blue-black, marked with specks; skin thick, tough. Pulp juicy, sweet; good in quality.

JANESVILLE

(Labrusca, Vulpina)

Endowed with a const.i.tution enabling it to withstand cold to which most other grapes succ.u.mb, Janesville has made a place for itself in far northern localities. Moreover, the grapes ripen early, being about the first to color although they are not ripe until some time after coloring. The vine also is healthy, vigorous and productive. The fruit, however, is worthless when better sorts can be grown. The cl.u.s.ters and berries are small, the grapes are pulpy, tough, seedy, have a thick skin and a disagreeable acid taste. Janesville was grown by F. W. Loudon, Janesville, Wisconsin, from chance seed planted in 1858.

Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive. Canes spiny, numerous, dark brown; nodes flattened; internodes long; tendrils intermittent or continuous, long, bifid or trifid. Leaves small, thin; upper surface glossy, smooth; lower surface pale green, lightly p.u.b.escent; leaf usually not lobed with terminus acute; petiolar sinus narrow, often closed and overlapping; basal and lateral sinuses lacking; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, open very early; stamens upright.

Fruit early, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters small, short, cylindrical, usually single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, slender, covered with small, scattering warts; brush dark wine color.

Berries round, dull black with heavy bloom, persistent, firm; skin thick, tough, adherent with dark wine-colored pigment, astringent; flesh pale reddish-green, translucent, juicy, tough, coa.r.s.e, vinous, acid; fair in quality. Seeds adherent, one to six, large, broad, angular, blunt, dark brown.

JEFFERSON

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Jefferson (Plate XXI) is an offspring of Concord crossed with Iona, and resembles Concord in vigor, productiveness and healthiness of vine, and Iona in color and quality of fruit. The vine produces its fruit two weeks later than Concord and is not as hardy, faults that debar it from taking high rank as a commercial grape. Fortunately the vines yield readily to laying down for winter protection so that even in commercial plantations it is not difficult to prevent winter injury. The bunches of Jefferson are large, well-formed, compact with berries of uniform size and color. The flesh is firm yet tender, juicy with a rich, vinous flavor and a delicate aroma which persists even after the berries have dried into raisins. The fruit ships and keeps well, the berries adhering to the cl.u.s.ter and the fruit retaining its freshness into late winter. Jefferson is widely distributed and is well known by viticulturists in eastern America. It is not particular as to localities, if the season be long and the climate temperate, and thrives in all soils. The variety originated with J. H. Ricketts, Newburgh, New York; it fruited first in 1874.

Vine vigorous, healthy, doubtfully hardy, productive. Canes short, numerous, light to dark brown; nodes enlarged, round; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, short, bifid or trifid. Leaves healthy; upper surface light green, older leaves rugose; lower surface pale green, strongly p.u.b.escent; leaf usually not lobed with terminus acute; petiolar sinus narrow, sometimes closed and overlapping; basal sinus usually absent; lateral sinus shallow, often a mere notch; teeth regular, shallow. Flowers self-fertile, open late; stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps and ships well. Cl.u.s.ters large, cylindrical, usually single-shouldered, sometimes double-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, slender with a few inconspicuous warts; brush long, slender, pale yellowish-green. Berries medium in size, oval, light and dark red, glossy with thin bloom, persistent, very firm; skin thick, tough, free, slightly astringent; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, coa.r.s.e-grained, tender, vinous; good to best.

Seeds free, one to four, broad, short, blunt, plump, brown.

JESSICA

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Jessica is an early, hardy, green grape. The fruit is sweet, rich, sprightly and almost free from foxiness, but is unattractive and does not keep well. The cl.u.s.ters and berries are small, and the cl.u.s.ters are too loose for a good grape. Jessica may be commended for earliness and hardiness and is, therefore, desirable, if at all, in northern regions. William H. Read, Port Dalhousie, Ontario, grew Jessica from seed planted some time between 1870 and 1880.

Vine medium in vigor, healthy, hardy, productive. Canes long, thick, dark brown with red tinge; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils continuous or intermittent, bifid or trifid. Leaves small; upper surface dark green, glossy, often rugose; lower surface pale green, very p.u.b.escent; lobes three; petiolar sinus narrow; teeth shallow, narrow. Flowers self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit very early. Cl.u.s.ters small, slender, tapering, usually single-shouldered. Berries small, round, light green, often tinged with yellow, covered with thin bloom, persistent, soft; skin thin, adherent, faintly astringent; flesh pale green, transparent, juicy, tender, soft, sprightly, sweet; good. Seeds adherent, medium to broad, notched, brown.

JEWEL