It is more difficult to name its defects. So far as we can discover, these are susceptibility to mildew, sterile flowers, and difficulty in propagation. Unquestionably the latter character has greatly hindered its culture, as the vines can be had only at extra expense and nurserymen are loath to grow it at all. Eumelan can at least be recommended to amateur growers and for the garden and it is well worth further trial by grape-growers.
Eumelan is a chance seedling which grew from seed about 1847 in the yard of a Mr. Thorne at Fishkill Landing, New York. About 1860 it fell into the hands of Dr. C. W. Grant of Iona Island and was introduced by him in 1867. By some it is supposed to be a seedling of Isabella. Bush gives the species as Aestivalis. Munson states, however, that he can see nothing in it but Labrusca and Vinifera. Labrusca seems to be indicated very plainly by the texture of the fruit and by the seeds, Vinifera possibly by a general appearance of the vine difficult to define and also by the tendency to mildew. Besides this, however, there are the bluish bloom on shoots and canes, the pigment beneath the skin, the spicy taste in the berries, and the difficulty of propagation from cuttings, all of which are difficult to account for except by recognizing the presence of Aestivalis or Bicolor blood.
Vine vigorous to medium, hardy, medium to productive, inclined to mildew. Canes intermediate in length, numerous, of average thickness, covered with considerable blue bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short to medium; diaphragm thick; pith about medium size; shoots glabrous; tendrils intermittent, rather long, trifid to bifid.
Leaf-buds large, long, rather thick, conspicuous, obtuse to conical, open in mid-season. Young leaves heavily tinged on under side and lightly tinged along margin of upper side with bright carmine. Leaves medium to large, of average thickness; upper surface rather dark green, glossy, smooth to medium; lower surface pale green, not pubescent; veins distinct; lobes usually three in number with terminal lobe acute to acuminate; petiolar sinus medium to deep, variable in width; basal sinus usually lacking; lateral sinus shallow to medium, rather narrow or often a mere notch; teeth inclined to shallow, usually above medium in width. Flowers sterile, open in mid-season; stamens reflexed.
Fruit ripens before mid-season, keeps frequently until late winter. Clusters of average size, long to medium, rather slender, slightly tapering to cylindrical, often with a long, loose, single shoulder, variable in compactness; peduncle medium to long, of average size; pedicel somewhat short, rather slender, covered with few small warts, wide at point of attachment to fruit; brush short, stubby, pale green. Berries medium in size, roundish to frequently compressed, black, glossy, covered with abundant blue bloom, persistent, firm. Skin intermediate in thickness, tough, rather adherent to the pulp, contains a moderate amount of wine-colored pigment, slightly astringent. Flesh somewhat dark green, juicy, fine-grained, nearly tender, stringy, not foxy, rather spicy and aromatic with Aestivalis flavor, sweet, ranks good or higher in quality. Seeds adhere slightly to the pulp, one to four, average three, above medium to large, rather wide, intermediate in length, somewhat blunt, plump, brownish; raphe obscure; chalaza oval to circular, slightly above center, rather distinct. Must 93°-100°.
(I) EUREKA.
(Labrusca.)
1. Mag. Hort., 27:6. 1861. 2. Gar. Mon., 6:371. 1864. 3. Mag. Hort., 33:205. 1867. 4. Am. Hort. An., 1871:80. 5. Bush. Cat., 1883:98.
Bogue’s Eureka (2).
No good descriptions of this variety are extant, and it does not appear to have been widely tested. Eureka resembles the Isabella very closely in both fruit and vine. The fruit ripens about two weeks earlier, is somewhat more tender in pulp, more compact in the bunch, and with the vine of greater vigor.
Eureka was originated by S. Folsom of Attica, Wyoming County, New York, some time in the fifties, and was introduced a few years later by Bogue & Son, nurserymen, of Genesee County. It is said to be a seedling of Isabella, resembling the parent very closely, except for being earlier in ripening. It is now practically out of cultivation, and was never superior to its reputed parent in desirable characters.