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.