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, pubescent; 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. Clusters 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.