Fruit ripens with Moore Early or a little later, does not keep well. Clusters medium to small, below average length, variable in shape, cylindrical to tapering, frequently single-shouldered, compact; peduncle intermediate in length and thickness; pedicel medium to short, covered with numerous small warts; brush wine-colored or pinkish-red. Berries small to medium, roundish to slightly oblate, dark purplish-black, rather dull, covered with heavy blue bloom, persistent, not very firm. Skin rather thin, medium to tough, adheres but slightly to the pulp, contains much red pigment, astringent. Flesh greenish-white, nearly opaque, fine-grained, of medium toughness, aromatic, slightly vinous, not foxy, sweet at skin but slightly acid at center, good in quality. Seeds do not separate easily from the pulp unless the fruit is thoroughly ripe, one to four, average three, of medium size, broad, notched, below mean length, usually somewhat blunt, dark brown; raphe obscure; chalaza of fair size, slightly above center, circular, somewhat obscure.
EATON.
(Labrusca.)
1. Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1879:161. 2. Ib., 1880:231. 3. Gar. Mon., 27:335. 1885. 4. U. S. D. A. Rpt., 1887:633. 5. Rural N. Y., 48:639, 641. 1889. fig. 6. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 9:326. 1890. 7. W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 36:42. 1891. 8. Ill. Sta. Bul., 28:254. 1893. 9. Bush. Cat., 1894:123. 10. Mass. Hatch Sta. Bul., 37:11, 14. 1896. 11. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:529, 548, 552, 559. 1898. 12. Mo. Sta. Bul., 46:39, 42, 44, 45, 50, 54, 76. 1899.
Eaton’s Seedling (1, 2).
Eaton is a pure-bred seedling of Concord which it surpasses in appearance but does not equal in flavor. In appearance of bunch it is one of the handsomest of our native grapes but as a table grape it ranks low. Its flesh is tough and stringy and, though sweet at the skin, is acid at the seeds. It has the same foxiness that characterizes Concord but with more juice and less richness than its parent so that it is well described as a “diluted Concord”. The skin is very similar to that of Concord, neither thicker nor thinner, and the fruit packs, ships and keeps about the same, though if any thing less well because of the greater amount of juice. The season is a few days earlier than Concord. The vine is healthy, vigorous, hardy and productive and very similar in all botanical characters to its parent. The grapes ripen unevenly, the flowers are self-sterile and in some locations it is a shy bearer. Eaton has been grown for nearly forty years and has not found favor with either the grower or the consumer and is being less and less grown, remaining in our viticulture only as a handsome exhibition grape and an interesting seedling of Concord.