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 p otection 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 cluster 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 pubescent; 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. Clusters 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, coarse-grained, tender, vinous; good to best.

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