Evening star., 1942-10-10

AAS>ASJ SSSo1 "eNok>oS y JSAAS" JoSASVo e121S
and American origin it Is only the
latter that are valuable to WASH
ington gardeners. The fine vinifera
grapes Of the Old World are too ten
der and subject to disease to be sue
ceSsful here. But some breeders,
notably the late E. S. Rogers of
Salem, Mass and the horticulturists
of the New York Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station at Geneva, NY,
have produced many varieties of the
highest quality in which a vinifera
grape was one parent. The late T.
v. Munson of Texas originated near
ly 100 varieties, most of which are
adapted to the semi-arid and noun
famous regions of the Southwest,
but some of them are very good in
this locality.
Delaware is the American grape
par excellence" says U. P. Hedrick
in "The Grapes of New York, "the
standard variety whereby to gauge
the quality of other grapes" The
vines are healthy, hardy, and pro-
ductive although not vigorous, and
the berries and punches are small,
a red grape, it should be at the
head of the list. Although the Con-
cord is second In popularity in the
eastern part of the United States
it does not succeed as we'll here as
it does farther north; there are
many better varieties for this Sec
ton. CataWba, another red grape
of unknown origin, was introduced
by John Adlum' of the District of
Columbia in 1923. It has a re-
markable constitution, is dark red in
color, late in ripening, and of the
highest quality as table and wine
grape.
Niagara is probably the leading
green grape and one would make
no mistake in selecting it. The vine
is vigorous and productive; the ber-
ries are large and thickly set on a
big compact cluster. Diamond,
which has trace of vinifera blood,
is considered by many as being of
better quality and one of the best
of the green or white grapes. On
tario is of recent introduction,
green grape of high quality that is
one of the earliest to ripen. Bunches
and berries are large and attractive
and it does we'll hereabouts.
The Rogers Hybrids
Interesting.
E. S. Rogers put the pollen of the
vinifera Black Hamburg and White
Chasselas on a large-fruited Lab
rusca variety, known locally as Car
ter or Mammoth Globe. From these
crosses he fruited As vines, al, of
which produced fruit of high quality.
All were numbered but only few
were named. Although of the high
est quality they have never attained
commercial popularity because, ex-
cept for AgaWam, all the named
varieties are self-sterile. When
grown with other varieties to pol
Innate them they are most valuable
in the home vineyard. Varieties of
Rogers hybrids that are growing
successfully in one vineyard in this
vicinity are Goethe, Gaertner, Lind
ley, Salem, and Rogers No. 80, all
large red grapes. Agawam, red,
does we'll here, also Barry and Her.
bert, both black.
The New York Station grapes are
of more recent introduction and
have not been grown long nor widely
enough to determine their adapt
ability. Golden Muscat has done
fairly well here and is variety
of very high quality. Seneca is
an early yellow variety of almost
pure vinifera parentage, Sheridan
(blacH, Urbana Qight red) and
Keuka Ozark red are all late grapes
that ripen with Catawba. If their
performance compares with the high
quality of their fruit they will be
valuable additions to our list of
varieties.
The late T. v. Munson of Texas
was not only a grape breeder but
a botanist, viticulturist and nursery
man. He discovered many new
species of Wits and crossed, re-
crossed and intercrossed them.
Many OF his creations are tremen-
dously vigorous and need to be
planted Is to 20 feet apart because
they will not bear we'll if given
the customary short-arm pruning.
They are particularly valuable for
growing on arbors. Mericadel is a
choice variety for Washington grow
ers. Like many vinifera varieties
the skin is pleasant to eat. The
cluster is long and large, the berry
OF medium size, purple, sweet and
delicious. America is notable be-
cause OF the very high color of the
Juice which stains the hands and
lips when eating it. The clusters
and berries are of medium size and
produced abundantly. It is most
valuable as a wine grape '(although
OF good quality when fully ripe). as
Is also Bell, a white variety, Bril-
laint, the progeny of Delaware and
Lindley, Is a high-quality red grape
that resembles both parents.
~ nAOR