Brown
(Labrusca)
In spite of many encomiums in the past quarter century, Brown has not
received favorable recognition from fruit-growers. The quality is not
high, the berries shatter badly, and the vine is lacking in vigor.
Brown is a seedling of Isabella which came up in a yard at Newburgh,
New York, about 1884.
Vine hardy, productive. Canes short, slender, dark brown; tendrils
continuous. Leaves healthy, light green, glossy; veins well
defined, distinctly showing through the thick bronze of the lower
surface. Flowers open early, self-fertile stamens upright.
Fruit large, keeps well. Clusters small to medium, slender,
cylindrical or tapering, usually single-shouldered. Berries
intermediate in size, oval, black with thick bloom, drop soon
after ripening; skin adherent; flesh juicy, tough, fine-grained, a
little foxy, mild next the skin but tart at center; good. Seeds
short, blunt, light brown.