E. S. Rogers of Salem, Massachusetts, produced Goethe as one of his famous Labrusca-Vinifera hybrids and for its early history the reader is referred to “Rogers’ Hybrids.” It is first mentioned separately from others of these productions in 1858 under the name Rogers’ No. 1. It was placed upon the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1867, where it still remains. In 1869 Mr. Rogers named the grape Goethe after the great German poet and naturalist. While highly esteemed in the North, it succeeds better and is therefore more commonly grown in the Middle and South Atlantic States and in the valleys of the Ohio and of the lower Missouri.
Vine vigorous to medium, hardy, variable in productiveness, somewhat subject to mildew in unfavorable locations. Canes above medium to short, of average number and thickness, rather dark brown; nodes enlarged, slightly flattened; internodes very short; diaphragm thick; pith below medium in size; shoots strongly pubescent; tendrils continuous with tendency to intermittent, rather long, bifid to trifid.
Leaf-buds intermediate in size, length and thickness, conical to nearly obtuse, open very late. Young leaves tinged lightly on under side and along margin of upper side with rose-carmine. Leaves variable in size, irregularly roundish, medium to somewhat thin; upper surface light green, glossy, of average smoothness; lower surface pale green to bronze, pubescent, veins very distinct; leaf usually not lobed, with terminus broadly acute; petiolar sinus of average depth, narrow, closed and frequently overlapping; basal sinus usually lacking; lateral sinus shallow, often a mere notch; teeth shallow to medium, rather narrow. Flowers partly fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.
Fruit ripens considerably later than Concord, keeps unusually well. Clusters intermediate in size, short to medium, rather broad, widely tapering, frequently single-shouldered, usually two bunches to a shoot, intermediate in compactness; peduncle short to medium, of average thickness; pedicel nearly long, thick, covered with numerous, conspicuous warts, wide at point of attachment to berry; brush long, slender to stout, pale green to yellowish-brown. Berries very large to above medium, oval to nearly roundish, pale red, covered with thin gray or slightly lilac bloom, persistent, of average firmness. Skin thin, tender to medium, adheres slightly to the pulp, contains no pigment, faintly astringent. Flesh pale green, translucent, inclined to tenderness, rather coarse, nearly sweet at skin but decidedly tart at center, with some Vinifera sprightliness, ranking good to very good in quality, does not reach its best flavor in many localities in this State. Seeds separate from the pulp with difficulty unless fully ripe, one to three, average two, large, long, of average thickness, very slightly notched, inclined to bluntness, brownish; raphe obscure; chalaza of fair size, decidedly above center, pear-shaped, distinct. Must 78°.
GOFF.
(Labrusca, Vinifera, Aestivalis.)
During the quarter century the New York Agricultural Experiment Station has been in existence, the breeding of grapes has been one of the chief lines of horticultural work. Professor E. S. Goff, the first Station horticulturist, began this work as early as 1885 and produced a number of seedling grapes which were numbered but not named. In continuing this work, Professor S. A. Beach, successor to Professor Goff, planted seed from some of the original seedlings and from one of these came a somewhat remarkable grape to which we have given the name Goff. This new variety first bore fruit in 1898 and at once attracted attention. In 1901 it was awarded a silver medal as a meritorious seedling at the Pan-American Exposition. Specimens of it sent to several viticultural experts were highly spoken of and in the years it has been in fruit on the Station grounds it has made a most excellent record.
Unfortunately the pedigree of this grape can never be known. Not only were the parents of the original seedling unknown, but the immediate parent was open to cross-pollination in a vineyard of many varieties. All who have examined the fruit and vines of Goff are well agreed that the variety shows very distinctly Labrusca and Vinifera characters and some maintain that there are indications of Aestivalis as well. As to the proportion of these three species, if all be present, no one would care to hazard a guess.