Martha

(Labrusca, Vinifera)



Martha was at one time a popular green grape, but the introduction of

superior varieties has reduced its popularity until now it is but

little grown. It is a seedling of Concord and resembles its parent,

differing chiefly as follows: fruit green, a week earlier, bunch and

berry smaller, flavor far better, being sweeter, more delicate and

less foxy. The vine of Martha is a lighter shad of green, is less

robust, and the blossoms open a few days earlier than those of

Concord. One of the defects of Martha, and the chief cause of its

going out of favor, is that it does not keep nor ship well. The

variety is still being planted in the South but is generally abandoned

in the North. Samuel Miller, Calmdale, Pennsylvania, grew Martha from

seed of Concord; it was introduced about 1868.



Vine hardy, productive, susceptible to attacks of mildew. Canes

long, dark reddish-brown, surface with thin bloom, roughened;

nodes enlarged, slightly flattened; tendrils continuous, or

intermittent, bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface light

green; lower surface light bronze, heavily pubescent; lobes

wanting or faint; petiolar sinus shallow, very wide; teeth

irregular. Flowers self-fertile, open in mid-season; stamens

upright.



Fruit early mid-season. Clusters medium in size, tapering,

single-shouldered, loose; pedicel short, slender; brush very

short, green. Berries medium in size, round, light green with thin

bloom, persistent; skin thin, very tender, adherent; flesh pale

green, juicy, tough, fine-grained, slightly foxy; very good. Seeds

few in number, adherent, broad, blunt, dark brown.