Perkins
(Labrusca, Vinifera)
At one time Perkins was grown largely as an early grape but has been discarded very generally on account of the poor quality of the fruit. The pulp of the grape is hard and the flavor is that of Wyoming and Northern Muscadine, grapes characterized by disagreeable foxiness. As with nearly all Labruscas, Perkins is a poor keeper. Notwithstanding the faults of its fruit, the variety may have value in regions where grape-growing is precarious; for in fruiting it is one of the most reliable grapes cultivated, the vines being hardy, vigorous, productive and free from fungal diseases. Perkins is an accidental seedling found about 1830 in the garden of Jacob Perkins, Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive. Canes long, numerous, thick, dark brown, deepening in color at the nodes, surface heavily pubescent; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils continuous, bifid or trifid. Leaves medium in size, thick; upper surface rugose; lower surface heavily pubescent; veins distinct; lobes three; petiolar sinus deep, narrow; serration shallow. Flowers self-fertile, early; stamens upright.
Fruit early, ships well. Clusters of medium size and length, broad, cylindrical, often with a single shoulder, compact; pedicel short, thick, warty; brush long, yellow. Berries large, oval, pale lilac or light red with thin bloom, inclined to drop from the pedicel, soft; skin thin, tough, without pigment; flesh white, juicy, stringy, fine-grained, firm, meaty, very foxy; poor in quality. Seeds adherent, numerous, medium in size, notched.
Pocklington
(Labrusca)
Before the advent of Niagara, Pocklington ([Plate XXII]) was the leading green grape. The variety has the fatal fault, however, of ripening its crop late, which with some minor defects has caused it to fall below Niagara for northern grape districts. Pocklington is a seedling of Concord and resembles its parent in vine characters; the vines are fully equal to or surpass those of Concord in hardiness, but are of slower growth and not quite as healthy, vigorous nor productive. In quality, the grapes are as good if not better than those of Concord or Niagara, being sweet, rich and pleasantly flavored, although as with the other grapes named, it has too much foxiness for critical consumers. Pocklington is not equal to several other grapes of its season in quality, as Iona, Jefferson, Diana, Dutchess and Catawba, but it is far above the average and for this reason should be retained. John Pocklington, Sandy Hill, New York, grew Pocklington from seed of Concord about 1870.
Vine medium in vigor, hardy. Canes of medium length, number and size, dark reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; tendrils continuous, bifid or trifid. Leaves variable in size, thick; upper surface light green, glossy; lower surface tinged with bronze, pubescent; lobes one to three with terminus acuminate; petiolar sinus deep, wide; teeth narrow. Flowers self-fertile, mid-season; stamens upright.
Fruit late mid-season, keeps and ships well. Clusters large, cylindrical, often single-shouldered, compact; pedicel short, thick with a few small warts; brush short, green. Berries large, oblate, yellowish-green with tinge of amber, with thin bloom, firm; skin with scattering russet dots, thin, tender, adherent, faintly astringent; flesh light green with yellow tinge, translucent, juicy, tough, fine-grained, slightly foxy; good. Seeds adherent, one to six, of medium length and breadth.