Plate XXIV.—Moore Early (×3/5).
Brilliant
(Labrusca, Vinifera, Bourquiniana)
Brilliant is a cross between Lindley and Delaware. In cluster and size of berry it resembles Lindley; in color and quality of fruit it is about the same as Delaware, differing chiefly in having more astringency in the skin. Its season is about with Delaware. The grapes do not crack or shell, therefore ship well, and have very good keeping qualities, especially on the vine where they often hang for weeks. The vine is vigorous and hardy. The defects which have kept Brilliant from becoming one of the standard commercial sorts are: marked susceptibility to fungi, variability in size of cluster, unevenness in ripening and unproductiveness. In favorable situations this variety pleases the amateur, and the commercial grower often finds it profitable. The seed which produced Brilliant was planted by T. V. Munson, Denison, Texas, in 1883 and the variety was introduced in 1887.
Vine vigorous, hardy, rather unproductive. Canes long, numerous, thick, dark brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils intermittent, long, bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, dull, rugose; lower surface gray-green, downy; obscurely three-lobed with terminal lobe acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow; basal and lateral sinuses obscure and shallow when present; teeth intermediate in depth and width. Flowers open late, self-fertile; stamens upright.
Fruit early mid-season, keeps well. Clusters medium, blunt, cylindrical, usually shouldered, compact; pedicel short, thick with a few small warts; brush short, thick, pale green with reddish tinge. Berries round, dark red, glossy with thin bloom, strongly adherent, firm; skin thin, tough, adherent; flesh pale green, transparent, juicy, stringy, fine-grained, vinous, sweet; good. Seeds clinging, one to four, large, broad, elongated, plump, light brown.
Brown
(Labrusca)
In spite of many encomiums in the past quarter century, Brown has not received favorable recognition from fruit-growers. The quality is not high, the berries shatter badly, and the vine is lacking in vigor. Brown is a seedling of Isabella which came up in a yard at Newburgh, New York, about 1884.