Beaconsfield, Early Champion, Talman's Seedling
Champion is a favorite early grape with some growers, although the poor quality of the fruit should have driven it from cultivation long ago. The characters which have kept it in the market are earliness, good shipping qualities, attractive appearance of fruit, and a vigorous, productive, hardy vine. The hardiness of the vine and the short season of fruit development make it a good variety for northern climates. This grape is best in appearance of fruit, in quality and in the quantity produced, on light sandy soils. The origin of Champion is unknown. It was first grown about 1870 in New York.
Vine very vigorous, hardy and productive. Canes of average size, dark brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short; shoots pubescent; tendrils continuous, long, bifid. Leaves large; upper surface dark green, dull, rugose; lower surface dull gray, downy; lobes usually three, often obscurely five, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus deep; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, early; stamens upright.
Fruit early, three weeks before Concord, season short. Clusters medium in size, blunt, cylindrical, usually not shouldered, compact; pedicel short with inconspicuous warts; brush white tinged with bronze. Berries medium in size, round, dull black covered with heavy bloom, soft; skin thick, tender, adherent, astringent; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, foxy; poor in quality. Seeds adherent, one to five, broad, long, blunt, light brown.
Chasselas Golden
(Vinifera)
Chasselas Dore, Fontainebleau, Sweetwater
Several qualities have made Chasselas Golden a favorite grape wherever it can be grown. The variety is adapted to widely differing environments; the season of ripening is early; while not choicely high, the quality of the grapes is good and they are beautiful, clear green tinged with beautiful golden bronze where exposed to the sun. Chasselas Golden is a popular variety on the Pacific slope and should be one of the first Viniferas to be tried in the East. The following description was made from fruit grown at Geneva, New York:
Vine medium in vigor, very productive; buds open in mid-season. Young leaves tinged with red on both upper and lower surfaces, thinly pubescent to glabrous; mature leaves medium to above in size, slightly cordate; upper surface glabrous, lower surface slightly pubescent along the veins; lobes five in number, terminal lobe acuminate; basal sinus broad and rather deep; lower lateral sinus variable, usually broad and sometimes deep; upper lateral sinus broad and frequently deep; teeth large, obtuse to rounded. Flowers late; stamens upright.
Fruit ripens early and keeps well in storage; clusters large, long, broad, tapering, sometimes with a single shoulder, compactness medium; berries medium to above, slightly oval, pale green to clear yellow, with thin bloom; skin thin, tough, adherent, slightly astringent; flesh greenish, translucent, firm, juicy, tender, sweet; good.