Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, numerous, dark reddish-brown with heavy bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; tendrils intermittent, long, bifid. Leaves small, thin; upper surface glossy, smooth; lower surface light green, hairy; lobes lacking or faint, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus deep and wide; teeth of average depth and width. Flowers self-sterile, usually on plan of six, open late; stamens reflexed.
Fruit mid-season or later, keeps well. Clusters large, long, broad, tapering, irregular, single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, slender with small warts; brush short, thick with red tinge. Berries small, variable in size, round, purplish-black, glossy with purplish-red pigment, astringent; flesh dull white with faint red tinge, translucent, tender, melting, spicy, vinous, sweet; good. Seeds free, two to five, long, pointed, yellowish-brown.
Aminia
(Labrusca, Vinifera)
Aminia is one of the best early grapes, its season being with or a little after Moore Early. The grapes are of high quality and attractive appearance, but the bunches are small, variable in size, not well formed and the berries ripen unevenly. The vine is vigorous but is neither as hardy nor as productive as a commercial variety should be. In 1867 Isadora Bush, a Missourian, planted vines of Rogers No. 39 from several different sources. When these came into bearing, he distinguished three varieties. Bush selected the best of the three and, with the consent of Rogers, named it Aminia. In spite of Bush's care, there are two distinct grapes cultivated under this name.
Vine vigorous, precariously hardy, lacking in productiveness. Canes rough, long, thick, dark brown; nodes enlarged; internodes long; tendrils intermittent, long, trifid or bifid, persistent. Leaves large; upper surface dull, smooth; lower surface light green, pubescent; lobes three; terminal lobe acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow, often closed and overlapping; basal sinus usually lacking; lateral sinus shallow, narrow; teeth shallow, wide. Flowers open in mid-season, self-sterile; stamens reflexed.
Fruit early, keeps well. Clusters small, broad, irregular, conical, sometimes with a long shoulder, loose; pedicel long with few warts; brush short, thick, brownish-red. Berries variable, round, dull black with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin thick, tender, adherent with purplish-red pigment, astringent; flesh greenish, translucent, tender, solid, coarse, foxy; good. Seeds adherent, one to six, very large.
August Giant
(Labrusca, Vinifera)
August Giant is a hybrid between Labrusca and Vinifera in which the fruit characters are those of the latter species. In appearance and taste of berry, the variety resembles Black Hamburg. The vine is usually vigorous and, considering its parentage, is very hardy. The foliage is thick and luxuriant but subject to mildew. Vigor of vine, beauty of foliage and the quality of the fruit make the variety desirable for the amateur. It needs a long-maturing season. August Giant was grown by N. B. White, Norwood, Massachusetts, in 1861, from seed of an early, large-berried, red Labrusca pollinated by Black Hamburg.