Isabella Seedling is an early, vigorous, productive offspring of Isabella. In fruit characters it greatly resembles its parent but is much earlier, ripening shortly after Moore Early, and has a more compact bunch. Like its parent, the fruit is of good quality and keeps remarkably well for so early a grape. It is now grown in New York more than Isabella and while not of any considerable commercial importance, is far more deserving attention as a market grape than some of the poorly flavored kinds more generally grown.
There are several varieties under this name. Two are mentioned by Warder; one of Ohio and one of New York origin. The Isabella Seedling here described was originated by G. A. Ensenberger, Sr., of Bloomington, Illinois, who sent it to this Station for testing in 1889. Full details of the origin and history of this grape are not known, Mr. Ensenberger having died soon after its dissemination, without leaving a record of his work.
Vine vigorous to very vigorous, usually hardy, healthy, productive. Canes long to medium, intermediate in number, thickish, dark brown, often with a tinge of red, surface covered with thin bloom; tendrils intermittent to continuous, bifid. Leaves healthy, medium to large, rather thick; upper surface medium green, dull, of average smoothness; lower surface pale green or grayish-green, occasionally with tinge of bronze, pubescent; veins distinct. Flowers nearly fertile; stamens upright.
Fruit ripens early but later than Moore Early, keeps well. Clusters large to medium, long, slender to medium, cylindrical to slightly tapering, usually single-shouldered, loose to medium but more compact than Isabella. Berries large to medium, distinctly oval, often pear-shaped, dull black, covered with a moderate amount of blue bloom, persistent, rather soft. Skin medium to thick, intermediate in toughness, contains some red pigment. Flesh pale green, juicy, somewhat tender, slightly coarse, vinous, sweet next the skin to acid at center, good in quality. Seeds numerous, separate rather easily from the pulp, inclined to large, of medium length, broad, notched, plump, dark brown; raphe buried in a groove of average width; chalaza large, above center, circular to slightly oval, somewhat obscure.
ISRAELLA.
(Labrusca, Vinifera?)
1. Horticulturist, 18:313, 314. 1863. 2. Grant, Descript. Cat., 1864:5, 8, 18, 19, 21, 32. 3. Grant, Grape Vines, 1864:1, 2, 13. 4. Mag. Hort., 33:70, 148, 337. 1867. 5. Fuller, 1867:225. 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1867:44. 7. Mag. Hort., 34:6, 103, 138, 140, 309, 350. 1868. 8. Grape Cult., 1:42, 116, 262, 302, 326. 1869. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1881:40. 10. Bush. Cat., 1883:111. 11. Tex. Sta. Bul., 48:1150, 1158. 1898. 12. Ga. Sta. Bul., 53:45. 1901.
Israella came from Dr. C. W. Grant contemporaneously with Iona, and was heralded far and wide as the earliest good grape in cultivation. For several years after its introduction it was widely tried and almost everywhere discarded because of the poor quality and unattractive appearance of the fruit and lack of vigor, hardiness and productiveness of the vine.
Dr. Grant grew the Israella from seed of Isabella planted in 1855. In 1859 or 1860, Peter B. Mead, then editor of the Horticulturist, selected this variety from several thousand seedlings of the same parentage and named it in honor of Dr. Grant’s wife. The first fruit was borne in 1859. It was placed on the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1867 and was dropped from their list in 1881. It has been gradually dropped from cultivation although it is still to be found in many varietal vineyards and is listed for sale by an occasional nurseryman.
Vine intermediate in vigor, usually hardy, hardly productive. Canes of average length, not numerous, slender, medium to dark brown; tendrils continuous, bifid. Leaves large to medium, intermediate in thickness; upper surface light green, dull, medium to rugose; lower surface pale green to grayish-green, faintly pubescent. Stamens upright.
Fruit ripens a little later than Concord, appears to keep well. Clusters above average size, intermediate in length and breadth, strongly tapering, often single-shouldered, usually compact, frequently with many abortive fruits. Berries small to medium, roundish to oval, black or purplish-black, not glossy, covered with a fair amount of bloom, inclined to drop somewhat from the pedicel, not firm. Skin thick, tough, contains a large amount of purplish-red pigment. Flesh pale green, juicy, tender, stringy, mild, sweet from skin to center, appears to lack character, not so good in flavor or quality as Concord, ranks no more than fair in quality. Seeds separate easily from the pulp, medium to below in size, intermediate in length, broad to medium, decidedly notched, blunt, light brown, seed-coat often covered with numerous grayish warts; raphe buried in a shallow, wide groove; chalaza small, at center or above, irregularly circular, obscure.