Diana

(Labrusca, Vinifera)



Diana (Plate XII) is a seedling of Catawba to which its fruit bears

strong resemblance, differing chiefly in having lighter color, in

being less pulpy and more juicy. The flavor resembles that of Catawba

but has less of the wild taste. The chief point of superiority of

Diana over Catawba is in earliness, the crop ripening ten days sooner,

making possible its culture far to the north. he defects of Diana

are: the vine is tender in cold winters; the grapes ripen unevenly;

the berries and foliage are susceptible to fungi; and the vine is a

shy bearer. Diana demands poor, dry, gravelly soil without much humus

or nitrogen. On clays, loams or rich soils, the vines make a rank

growth, and the fruits are few, late and of poor quality. The vine

needs to be long pruned and to have all surplus bunches removed,

leaving a small crop to mature. Diana is a satisfactory grape for the

amateur, and where it does especially well proves profitable for the

local market. Mrs. Diana Crehore, Milton, Massachusetts, grew Diana

from seed of Catawba, planted about 1834.



Vine vigorous, doubtfully hardy, often unproductive. Canes

pubescent, long, reddish-brown, covered with thin bloom; nodes

enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils intermittent, long,

bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface light green, heavily

pubescent; lobes three to five, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus

deep, wide, often closed and overlapping; basal sinus shallow;

lateral sinus narrow; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, open in

mid-season; stamens upright.



Fruit late, keeps well. Clusters large, broad, tapering,

occasionally shouldered, compact; pedicel covered with small

warts; brush slender, pale green. Berries medium in size, slightly

ovate, light red covered with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin

thick, tough, slightly adherent; flesh pale green, translucent,

juicy, tough, fine-grained, vinous, good. Seeds adherent, one to

three, light brown.