Vine vigorous to very vigorous, hardy except in severe winters, productive. Canes long, rather numerous, about average size, nearly light to medium dark brown; tendrils continuous, bifid. Leaves healthy, above medium to large, thickish; upper surface dark green, slightly glossy, nearly smooth; lower surface pale green, somewhat cobwebby; veins rather distinct. Flowers fertile or nearly so, open medium early; stamens upright.
Fruit ripens late, two or three weeks after Concord, keeps fairly well. Clusters medium to small, rather short and broad, irregularly cylindrical, usually with a short, medium-sized single shoulder but sometimes so heavily shouldered as to form a double bunch, very compact. Berries medium to small, roundish to frequently compressed on account of compactness of cluster, rather pale green, sometimes with a faint yellow tinge, dull, covered with thin gray bloom, shatter considerably when overripe, firm. Skin thin, tender, contains no pigment. Flesh juicy, fine-grained, somewhat tough and stringy, slightly foxy, neither rich nor high-flavored, sweet at skin to tart at center, mild, intermediate in flavor and quality. Seeds separate from the pulp quite easily, medium to above in size and width, long to medium, somewhat plump and blunt, brownish; raphe buried in a broad, shallow groove; chalaza of medium size, oval, nearly central, moderately distinct.
EUMELAN.
(Labrusca, Vinifera, Aestivalis.)
1. Rec. of Hort., 1866:38. 2. Mead, 1867:220. 3. Fuller, 1867:241. 4. Am. Jour. Hort., 8:144, 299. 1870. 5. Barry, 1872:418. 6. Mich. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1872:543, 555. 7. Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1875:393. 8. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1875:24. 9. Bush. Cat., 1883:99. fig. 10. Wis. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1885:174. 11. W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 36:43. 1891. 12. Va. Sta. Bul., 94:134. 1898. 13. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:530, 545, 546, 548, 549, 552. 1898. 14. Tex. Sta. Bul., 56:271. 1900.
Washington (1). Washington (3).
Eumelan was introduced about forty years ago, with the general opinion among the leading viticulturists of the time that it was one of the best black grapes that had been brought to the notice of grape-growers. It seems now, as one studies its characters, to show an association of as great a number of valuable good qualities and as few objectionable ones as almost any other of our black grapes, yet the variety is now but little grown. Briefly summarized, its good qualities are: Vines above the average in vigor, hardiness and productiveness, remarkable for their short-jointed wood; clusters and berries well-formed, of good size and the latter a handsome black with fine bloom, making a very attractive cluster of grapes; flesh tender, seemingly dissolving into wine-like juice under slight pressure; the flavor is pure without a trace of foxiness, rich, sweet, and vinous, making a very delicious and refreshing fruit, though the large seeds are somewhat objectionable. Eumelan makes a very good red wine. The season of ripening is such that the variety may be called early, yet it keeps much better than most of the other grapes maturing with it and becomes, therefore, a mid-season and late grape as well as an early one. It neither cracks nor shells badly, and ships very well.
