Kensington

(Vinifera, Vulpina)



Kensington has several very meritorious fruit and vine characters. The

vine resembles that of Clinton, its Vulpina parent, in vigor,

hardiness, growth and productiveness, but the fruit has many of the

characters of the European parent, Buckland Sweetwater. The grapes are

yellowish-green, large, oval and borne in loose clusters of medium

size. In quality the fruit of Kensington is not e ual to that of

Buckland Sweetwater but is much better than that of Clinton. The flesh

is tender and juicy with a rich, sweet, vinous flavor. The hardiness

of the vine and the high quality of the fruit should make Kensington a

favorite green grape in northern gardens. This variety was grown by

William Saunders, London, Ontario. It was sent out some time between

1870 and 1880.



Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, slender, light

brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; tendrils

persistent, intermittent or continuous, long, bifid or trifid.

Leaves thin; upper surface light green, glossy, smooth; lower

surface pale green, pubescent, hairy; lobes wanting or one to

three with terminus obtuse; petiolar sinus narrow; basal sinus

shallow when present; lateral sinus shallow, usually a notch;

teeth deep and wide. Flowers self-fertile, open early, stamens

upright.



Fruit mid-season. Clusters large, cylindrical, often heavily

single-shouldered, loose, frequently with many undeveloped

berries; pedicel long and slender with small, inconspicuous warts;

brush short, pale green. Berries variable in size, oval,

yellowish-green, glossy with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin

thin, tough, adherent, faintly astringent; flesh green,

transparent, juicy, tender, vinous, sweet; good. Seeds free, two

to four, wrinkled, large, long, broad, sharp-pointed,

yellowish-brown.