Marion

(Vulpina, Labrusca)



Black German, Marion Port



Marion so closely resembles Clinton in botanical and horticultural

characters as to be clearly of the same type. The vine is vigorous and

hardy, but hardly sufficiently productive, and is susceptible to

mildew and leaf-hoppers. The fruit is pleasantly sweet and spicy,

although not high enough in quality for a table-grape, but makes a

very good dark red wine. The fruit colors early but ripens late, hangs

well on the vines and improves with a touch of frost. Marion was

brought to notice by a Mr. Shepherd, Marion, Ohio, about 1850.



Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes very long, dark

reddish-brown, covered with bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened;

internodes very long; tendrils continuous, sometimes intermittent,

long, bifid. Leaves very large; upper surface dark green, glossy;

lower surface pale green, smooth; leaf entire, terminus acuminate;

petiolar sinus very deep, narrow, often closed and overlapping;

basal and lateral sinuses usually lacking; teeth shallow, wide.

Flowers self-sterile, open very early; stamens reflexed.



Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Clusters medium in size, short,

slender, cylindrical, single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short,

slender with a few inconspicuous warts; brush very short,

wine-colored. Berries small, round, black, glossy with heavy

bloom, persistent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent with much

wine-colored pigment, astringent; flesh dark green, translucent,

juicy, fine-grained, tough, sprightly, spicy, tart; fair in

quality. Seeds adherent, one to five, medium in size, broad,

short, very plump, brown.