Fruit comes in season with Concord, keeps unusually well. Clusters medium to large, variable in length, rather broad, slightly tapering, two or three clusters per shoot, often heavily single-shouldered, loose to medium; peduncle of average length, thick; pedicel intermediate in length, thick, covered with small russet warts; brush yellowish-green. Berries irregular in size but usually above medium, roundish to slightly flattened, rather dull black, covered with thick blue bloom, persistent, moderately firm. Skin variable in thickness and toughness, adheres somewhat to the pulp, contains a small amount of wine-colored pigment, astringent. Flesh light green, translucent, juicy, tender, fine-grained, with a little foxiness or muskiness, nearly sweet at skin but quite acid at center, quality good to very good. Seeds separate from the pulp with difficulty, three to six in number, average three, large, broadish, notched, quite long, with swollen neck, blunt, light brown with yellowish tips; raphe obscure; chalaza intermediate in size, decidedly above center, circular to pear-shaped, distinct.
HERCULES.
(Labrusca, Vinifera.)
1. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 11:625. 1892. 2. Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1893:89. 3. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 12:620. 1893. 4. Bush. Cat., 1894:135. 5. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:531, 548, 555. 1898.
Hercules is characterized by its extremely large berries, the size being as great, if not greater, than that of any of our native grapes, and approaching that of the largest Old World grapes. The fruit is handsomely colored and the cluster, when at its best, is large and well-formed with a striking resemblance to Black Hamburg. The flavor, while not of the best, is good. But large size, handsome appearance, and good flavor cannot make up for the several defects of the variety. The fruit drops and cracks badly and the pulp is too tough and adheres too firmly to the seed for a dessert grape. These faults are so marked as to make Hercules almost worthless except for breeding purposes. Added to the desirable characters of the fruit given above, the vines are hardy, vigorous and productive so that this variety offers an unusual array of valuable qualities for the grape-breeder.
At one time it was claimed that Hercules was a seedling of a California grape but later it was said to have come from seed of one of Rogers’ hybrids. This opinion was based solely upon the characters of the plant, as the originator, the late G. A. Ensenberger of Bloomington, Illinois, gave no satisfactory account of the parentage of the grape. Hercules was exhibited at the Columbian Exposition at Chicago, where, on account of its large size and showy appearance, it attracted much attention. It is unfortunate that the parentage of this grape is not known as it is likely to be used not a little in the grape-breeding of the future in producing large-fruited varieties.
Vine vigorous to very vigorous, hardy except in extreme winters, very productive. Canes long to medium, intermediate in number and thickness, brown or dark reddish-brown; nodes slightly enlarged, flattened; internodes medium to long; diaphragm thick; pith large to medium; shoots slightly pubescent; tendrils continuous, of average length, bifid.
Leaf-buds medium in size, short, thickish, pointed to conical, open in mid-season. Young leaves lightly tinged on lower side and along margin of upper side with rose carmine. Leaves large, intermediate in thickness; upper surface light green, slightly glossy, smoothish; lower surface grayish-green, pubescent; veins distinct; lobes none to three, with terminus acute; petiolar sinus deep to medium, intermediate to narrow; basal sinus usually absent; lateral sinus shallow to a mere notch; teeth medium to shallow, intermediate in width. Flowers sterile, open in mid-season; stamens reflexed.
Fruit comes in season about with Concord, somewhat subject to rot, keeps fairly well. Clusters attractive, somewhat resembling Black Hamburg, very large to medium, of average length, broad to medium, slightly tapering to nearly cylindrical below the single shoulder, one to three clusters per shoot, medium to rather compact; peduncle short and thick; pedicel inclined to shortness, thickish, much enlarged at point of attachment to the fruit; brush of average length, pale green. Berries unusually large but somewhat variable, roundish, black, glossy, covered with more or less blue bloom, not persistent, firm. Skin cracks badly in some seasons, intermediate in thickness and toughness, adheres slightly to the pulp, contains some wine-colored pigment, astringent. Flesh decided green, slightly translucent, juicy, very tough, coarse, stringy, somewhat foxy, sweet near skin but acid at center, fair to good in quality. Seeds very adherent to the pulp, one to five in number, average three, large to medium, above usual length, broad to medium, deeply notched, blunt, brownish; raphe buried in a broad, deep groove; chalaza small, plainly above center, circular to oval, distinct.