Eaton

(Labrusca)



Eaton (Plate XIV) is a pure-bred seedling of Concord which it

surpasses in appearance but does not equal in quality of fruit. The

flesh is tough and stringy, and though sweet at the skin, is acid at

the seeds and has the same foxiness that characterizes Concord, but

with more juice and less richness, so that it is well described as a

"diluted" Concord. The grape-skin is very similar to that of oncord,

and the fruit packs, ships and keeps about the same, perhaps not quite

as well because of the greater amount of juice. The season is a few

days earlier than Concord. The vine is similar in all characters to

that of its parent. The grapes ripen unevenly, the flowers are

self-sterile, and in some locations the vine is a shy bearer. The

variety has not found favor with either grower or consumer. Eaton

originated with Calvin Eaton, Concord, New Hampshire, about 1868.



Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive. Canes thick, light

brown with blue bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes

short; tendrils continuous, long, bifid or trifid. Leaves large,

round, thick; upper surface dark green; lower surface tinged with

bronze, heavily pubescent; lobes three, terminal one acute;

petiolar sinus shallow, wide; basal sinus usually lacking; lateral

sinus shallow, narrow, often notched; teeth shallow. Flowers

semi-sterile, early; stamens upright.



Fruit mid-season. Clusters large, short, broad, blunt, sometimes

double-shouldered, compact; pedicel long, thick, smooth; brush

slender, pale green. Berries large, round, black with heavy bloom,

persistent, firm; skin tough, adherent, purplish-red pigment,

astringent; flesh green, translucent, juicy, tough, stringy, foxy;

fair in quality. Seeds adherent, one to four, broad, notched,

plump, blunt.