Manual of American grape-growing

by U. P. Hedrick

(Labrusca, Vinifera, Bourquiniana)

Ideal is a handsome seedling of Delaware, from which it differs chiefly in being larger in bunch and berry, attaining in both of these characters nearly the size of Catawba. In Kansas and Missouri, this variety is highly recommended, not only for the high quality of the fruit, ranking with Delaware in quality, but because of vigorous, healthy, productive vines. But farther north the vines are precariously hardy and not sufficiently fruitful, healthy nor vigorous to warrant high recommendation. Ideal originated with John Burr, Leavenworth, Kansas, from seed of Delaware, about 1885.

Vine vigorous, doubtfully hardy, productive; tendrils intermittent, bifid or trifid. Canes long, numerous, slender, dark brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long. Leaves large, variable in color; lobes three to five; petiolar sinus deep, wide; teeth deep, narrow; upper surface light green, dull; lower surface pale green, pubescent.

Fruit early mid-season, keeps well. Clusters large, broad, heavily shouldered; pedicel thick; brush green. Berries large, round, dark red with thin bloom, usually persistent, firm; skin thick, tough, adherent; flesh green, tender, aromatic, sweet next the skin, acid at the center; good to very good. Seeds adherent, large, plump, brown.

Iona

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

In flavor, the fruit of Iona ([Plate XIX]) has a rare combination of sweetness and acidity, pure, delicate and vinous. The flesh is transparent, melting, tender, juicy and of uniform consistency quite to the center. The seeds are few and small and part readily from the flesh. The color is a peculiar dark-red wine with a tint of amethyst, variable and not always attractive. The bunch is large but loose, with berries varying in size and ripening unevenly. The fruit may be kept until late winter. The vine characters of Iona are not as good as those of the fruit. To do well, the vine must have a soil exactly suited to its wants, seemingly thriving best in deep, dry, sandy or gravelly clays. Iona responds especially well when trained against walls or buildings, attaining under such conditions rare perfection. The vines are doubtfully hardy and in many parts of the North must have winter protection; they are not vigorous and are inclined to overbear, to remedy which they must have close pruning. In localities in which mildew and rot thrive, the variety is badly attacked by these diseases. Iona originated with C. W. Grant, Iona Island, New York, from seed of Diana planted in 1885.

Vine weak, doubtfully hardy, unproductive. Canes short, light brown; nodes enlarged; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, bifid. Leaves thick; upper surface light green, dull, smooth; lower surface grayish-green, heavily pubescent; lobes three to five with terminal one acute; petiolar sinus of medium depth and width; basal sinus shallow; lateral sinus shallow, wide; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, open late; stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps well. Clusters medium in size, sometimes double-shouldered, slender, tapering, loose; brush pale green. Berries uniform, oval, round, dull, light and dark red with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin tough, adherent, slightly astringent; flesh green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, melting, vinous; very good. Seeds free, one to four, small, broad, plump, brown.