Vine variable in vigor, usually winter-kills somewhat, not very productive, especially where it winter-kills. Canes short, few, rather slender, nearly dark green to slightly ash-gray tinge, surface covered with thin blue bloom, often roughened with few small warts; nodes much enlarged, strongly flattened; internodes medium to short; diaphragm rather thick; pith large to medium; shoots glabrous; tendrils intermittent, of average length, bifid to trifid.
Leaf-buds intermediate in size and thickness, short, obtuse to nearly conical, open very late. Leaves medium to small, roundish, thick; upper surface dark green, slightly glossy, rugose; lower surface rather deep green with almost no pubescence; veins somewhat distinct; lobes none to five, terminal lobe acute; petiolar sinus of medium depth, very narrow, closed and overlapping; basal sinus usually lacking but shallow and narrow when present; lateral sinus shallow to medium, narrow; teeth above average in width and depth. Flowers open late; stamens upright.
Fruit ripens a little later than Concord, often keeps until spring. Clusters large, long, rather slender, cylindrical to slightly tapering, uniform, sometimes loosely shouldered, variable in compactness; peduncle short to medium, inclined to thick; pedicel intermediate in length, slender, covered with numerous warts; brush long, slender, greenish. Berries large to medium, distinctly oval, dark purplish-black, glossy, covered with light blue bloom, strongly persistent, almost firm. Skin very thick, tender, adheres considerably to the pulp, contains almost no pigment, without astringency. Flesh greenish or with slight yellow tinge, translucent, very juicy, tender, fine-grained, vinous, mild, very good in quality. The few seeds separate easily from the pulp, one to three, average two, intermediate in size and breadth, strongly notched, rather long, brownish; raphe obscure; chalaza of mean size, surface frequently roughened, above center, circular to oval, variable in distinctness.
DRACUT AMBER.
(Labrusca.)
1. U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt., 1859:48, 66. 2. Gar. Mon., 3:26. 1861. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1883:26. 4. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 11:620. 1892. 5. Iowa Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1893:161. 6. Bush. Cat., 1894:117. 7. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:548, 554. 1898. 8. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1899:28.
Early Amber (6).
Dracut Amber receives the attention given it here chiefly because it is a representative variety of the northern Labrusca and of the red type of Labrusca. The fruit has no particular merit, its thick skin, coarse pulp, seeds and rank foxy taste all being objectionable. But the vine is very hardy and productive, and the fruit ripens early making it valuable in the northern limits of viticulture and in other locations where a vigorous, hardy early grape is wanted. It is of no value for the market or for wine-making and therefore of use only for the home in the far North, though the fact that it does not keep well is still further against it for this purpose. The variety is of interest to the breeder who desires a red Labrusca of the northern type.
