Manual of American Grape-Growing Part 43

MERRIMAC

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Merrimac is often accredited as the best black grape among Rogers'

hybrids, but an a.n.a.lysis of the characters of the several black varieties grown by Rogers shows that it is surpa.s.sed by Wilder, Herbert and possibly Barry. The vine is strong in growth, productive, hardy and exempt from fungal diseases; but the grapes are not high in quality, and flesh, skin and seed characters are such that the fruit is not as pleasant to eat as the other black varieties named. Merrimac is worthy a place in collections for the sake of variety. Rogers gave this variety the name Merrimac in 1869.

Vine vigorous, usually hardy, productive. Canes slender, dark brown, surface roughened; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, short, bifid. Leaves large, thin; upper surface very light green, glossy, smooth; lower surface pale green, p.u.b.escent and cobwebby; lobes three with terminal one obtuse; petiolar sinus deep, narrow, sometimes closed and overlapping; basal sinus usually lacking; lateral sinus shallow, narrow; teeth shallow. Flowers self-sterile, open in mid-season; stamens reflexed.

Fruit mid-season, keeps and s.h.i.+ps well. Cl.u.s.ters variable in size, broad, tapering; pedicel slender, covered with numerous inconspicuous warts; brush wine-colored. Berries large, round, black, glossy with abundant bloom, persistent, firm; skin thick, tough, adherent, astringent; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, stringy; good. Seeds adherent, one to five, broad, long, with enlarged neck, brown.

MILLS

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

The bunches and berries of Mills are large and well-formed; the berries are firm and solid, with the skin adherent as in Viniferas; the flesh is juicy and parts readily from the seeds; the flavor is rich, sweet and vinous; and the grapes are hardly surpa.s.sed in keeping quality. But when the fruit characters of Mills have been praised, nothing further can be said in its favor. The vines are neither vigorous, hardy nor fruitful and are very subject to mildew; neither wood nor roots ripen well in the North in average seasons; and the variety is a most difficult one for nurserymen to grow. Mills is of doubtful commercial value, but for the garden it is possible that the grower may be able to graft it to advantage on some variety with better vine characters. William H. Mills, Hamilton, Ontario, grew Mills about 1870 from seed of Muscat Hamburg fertilized by Creveling.

Vine medium in vigor, hardiness and productiveness. Canes long, thick, light brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; tendrils intermittent, bifid or trifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, dull, rugose; lower surface pale green, cobwebby; lobes three to five with terminus acute; petiolar sinus intermediate in depth and width; basal and lateral sinuses deep and wide; teeth deep. Flowers self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters large, long, slender, cylindrical, often double-shouldered, compact; pedicel slender with numerous, small warts; brush long, wine-colored. Berries large, oval, jet-black with abundant bloom, persistent, firm; skin thick, tough, adherent; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, rich, tender, sprightly, vinous, sweet; very good to best. Seeds free, one to three, large, brown.

MISH

(Rotundifolia)

Mish is a favorite Rotundifolia in North Carolina, being planted extensively in some parts of that state. Its outstanding characters are vigor and productiveness in vine and high quality in the fruit.

Mish is named by many as the best all-round Rotundifolia, being of value for dessert, wine and grape-juice. The variety was found by W.

M. Mish, about 1846, near Was.h.i.+ngton, North Carolina.

Vine very vigorous, productive, healthy, open in growth; canes somewhat trailing. Leaves large, round, thick, smooth, leathery with coa.r.s.ely dentate margin. Flowers perfect.

Fruit late, does not ripen uniformly, keeps and s.h.i.+ps well.

Cl.u.s.ters of medium size with from six to fifteen berries which cling well to the pedicel. Berries of medium size, round-oval, deep reddish-black with numerous conspicuous dots; skin thin, cracking in wet weather; flesh tender, juicy, sweet, exceptionally well flavored; very good to best.

MISSION

(Vinifera)

Of all grapes, Mission has probably played the most important part in the vineyards of California. Grown from the earliest times at the old missions, its source or its name has never been determined. Its viticultural value for table and wine-press was early appreciated by California grape-growers, and its culture rapidly spread to every county in the state adapted to grape-growing. With vines vigorous, healthy and productive, bearing grapes of delicious quality, Mission is a mainstay on the Pacific slope, surpa.s.sed by few vineyard varieties for general usefulness. The description is compiled.

Vine vigorous, healthy, productive; wood short-jointed, grayish-brown, dull, dark. Leaf medium to large, slightly oblong, with large, deeply-cut compound teeth; basal sinus widely opened, primary sinuses narrow and shallow; smooth on both sides with scattered tomentum below, bright green above, lighter below. Bunch divided into many small, distinct lateral cl.u.s.ters, shouldered, loose, sometimes very loose; berries of medium size, purple or almost black with heavy bloom; skin thin; flesh firm, crisp, juicy, sweet, rich and delicious. Seeds rather large and prominent; season late.

MISSOURI RIESLING

(Vulpina, Labrusca)

Missouri Riesling attains perfection only in the South. The vines are hardy, vigorous, productive and healthy in the North, as a rule, but the fruit is lacking in quality. In the South, Missouri Riesling is a beautiful fruit when well grown and has many good qualities of fruit and vine. It originated with Nicholas Grein, Hermann, Missouri, about 1870, probably from seed of Taylor.

Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes very long, numerous, thick, dark brown; nodes enlarged; internodes long; tendrils continuous, long, trifid or bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, glossy, smooth; lower surface pale green, thinly p.u.b.escent; lobes five with terminal one ac.u.minate; petiolar sinus deep, narrow; basal sinus shallow, wide; lateral sinus deep, wide; teeth deep, wide. Flowers self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit late, does not keep nor s.h.i.+p well. Cl.u.s.ters short, cylindrical, single-shouldered; pedicel long with few small warts; brush green. Berries of medium size, round, yellowish-green changing to light red with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin sprinkled with small brown dots, thin, tough, adherent, astringent; flesh pale green, translucent, juicy, tender, fine-grained, lacking in aroma, mild; fair in quality. Seeds adherent, one to four, surface rough, dark brown.

MONTEFIORE

(Vulpina, Labrusca)

Montefiore is extensively grown in Missouri and the Southwest but is almost unknown in the North and East. It is reported as succeeding in the Lake District of Ohio and, with the exception that it is uncertain in bearing and not always productive, it grows well in sections of New York. While it is essentially a wine-grape, yet it is pleasing in taste and texture of fruit and is far better in quality than many of the coa.r.s.er Labruscas commonly cultivated. It keeps and s.h.i.+ps well and presents an attractive appearance. Jacob Rommel, Morrison, Missouri, grew this variety about 1875 from seed of Taylor fertilized by Ives.

Vine vigorous and hardy. Canes long, thick, dark brown with thin bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils continuous, long, bifid. Leaves thick; upper surface light green, dull, smooth; lower surface grayish-white, p.u.b.escent; lobes three when present with terminus acute; petiolar sinus wide; basal sinus lacking; lateral sinus shallow when present; teeth deep. Flowers semi-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Cl.u.s.ters small, short, tapering, single-shouldered, the shoulder being connected to the bunch by a long stem, compact; pedicel short, slender, smooth; brush red.

Berries small, oval, often compressed, black, glossy with abundant bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent, astringent; flesh green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, melting, vinous, sweet; fair to good. Seeds free, one to five, small, broad, faintly notched, short, plump, brown.

MOORE EARLY

(Labrusca)

Moore Early (Plate XXIV) is the standard grape of its season. Its fruit cannot be described better than as an early Concord. The vines are readily distinguishable from those of Concord, differing chiefly in being less productive. To grow the variety satisfactorily, the soil must be rich, well-drained and loose, must be frequently cultivated, and the vines should be pruned severely. The bunches of Moore Early are not as large as those of Concord and are less compact; the berries sh.e.l.l rather more easily, and the skin cracks more readily. The flesh characters and the flavor are essentially those of Concord, although the quality is not as high as in the older variety. The quality is, however, much higher than that of Champion and Hartford, its chief compet.i.tors, and varieties which it should replace. Moore Early is by no means an ideal grape for its season, but until something better is introduced it will probably remain the best early commercial sort.

Captain John B. Moore, Concord, Ma.s.sachusetts, originated this variety from seed of Concord, planted about 1868.

Vine vigorous, hardy, unproductive. Canes short, dark reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils continuous, bifid or trifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, dull; lower surface tinged with bronze, heavily p.u.b.escent; leaf usually not lobed, terminus acute; petiolar sinus wide; basal sinus lacking; lateral sinus a notch when present; teeth shallow, narrow. Flowers fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit early, does not keep well. Cl.u.s.ters medium in size, length, and breadth, cylindrical, sometimes single-shouldered, loose; pedicel short, thick, smooth; brush short, pale green. Berries large, round, purplish-black, firm; skin tender, adherent; flesh green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tough with slight foxiness; fair to good. Seeds one to four, large, broad, plump, blunt, brown with yellow tinge at tips.

MOSCATELLO

(Vinifera)

_Moscatello Nero. Black Muscat_

Beautiful in appearance and having a delicate Muscat taste and aroma, this variety is one of the good table-grapes of the Pacific slope.

Unfortunately it ripens so late that it is hardly worth trying in the East. The variety has the reputation of being very productive. The description is compiled.

Vine vigorous, healthy, very productive. Leaves of medium size, with deep upper and shallow lower sinuses; glabrous above, slightly downy below, very hairy on the veins, with long, sharp teeth. Bunch large to very large, long, loose, conico-cylindrical, winged; berries very large, borne on long slender pedicels, dark purple, almost black; skin thin but tough; flesh rather soft, juicy; flavor sweet, rich, aromatic, musky; quality very good.

Season late, does not keep well.

MOYER

(Labrusca, Bourquiniana)