Kensington is chiefly interesting as a cross between Riparia and Vinifera, though it has several very meritorious fruit and vine characters.
It resembles Clinton, its Riparia parent, in vigor, hardiness, growth, and productiveness of vine and in the botanical characters of vine and foliage; but the fruit has many of the characters of the European parent, Buckland Sweetwater. The grape is a handsome yellowish-green with large oval berries in a somewhat loose cluster of medium size. As it grows on the grounds of this Station, the clusters contain many undeveloped berries and are not as uniform in size and shape as might be desirable. While the quality is not equal to that of Buckland Sweetwater, it is much better than Clinton, ranking among good to best grapes. The flesh is tender and juicy, though slightly stringy, with a rich, sweet, vinous flavor. The seeds are markedly those of Vinifera. The hardiness of the vine and the high quality of the fruit should make Kensington a favorite green grape in northern gardens. It is doubtful if its good characters are sufficient in number or degree to make it of value for commercial vineyards.
This variety was produced by William Saunders of London, Ontario, from seed of Clinton pollinated by Buckland Sweetwater. It was sent out for testing sometime between 1870 and 1880 and since that time has been carefully tried at the Canadian Experiment Station and this Station, and with very favorable results. For some reason it seems not to have been very generally introduced into cultivation and nurserymen scarcely handle it though it ought to be found in gardens and in northern vineyards at least.
Vine vigorous, hardy, usually productive but sometimes an uncertain bearer, somewhat susceptible to attacks of mildew and leaf-hoppers. Canes medium to long, of average number, somewhat slender, light brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes short to medium; diaphragm intermediate in thickness; pith of medium size; shoots thinly pubescent; tendrils persistent, intermittent to continuous, rather long, bifid to sometimes trifid.
Leaf-buds medium to below in size, variable in length, slender, conical to pointed, open very late. Young leaves tinged with faint rose-carmine on lower side only; upper side heavily pubescent, prevailing color pale green with faintest trace of carmine. Leaves small to medium, thin; upper surface light green, glossy, smooth to medium; lower surface pale green, pubescent, somewhat hairy; lobes none to three with terminus obtuse to acute; petiolar sinus of average depth, moderately narrow; basal sinus shallow when present; lateral sinus shallow, usually a notch; teeth deep and wide. Flowers strongly self-fertile, open medium early; stamens upright.
Fruit ripens about with Concord, does not keep very long in good condition. Clusters medium to large, intermediate in length and breadth, cylindrical to tapering, often heavily single-shouldered, sometimes double-shouldered, loose to medium, frequently with many undeveloped berries; peduncle long to medium, slender; pedicel long and slender, covered with numerous small, inconspicuous warts, wide at point of attachment to fruit; brush short, pale green. Berries variable in size, distinctly oval, attractive green changing to yellowish-green as the fruit matures, glossy, covered with thin gray bloom, persistent, moderately firm. Skin thin, somewhat tough, adheres to the pulp, contains no pigment, faintly astringent. Flesh greenish, transparent, juicy, tender, stringy, vinous, sweet, good in quality. Seeds separate easily from the pulp when fully ripe but frequently leave some flesh attached to the seed, two to four, average three, heavily wrinkled, large and long, broad to medium, somewhat sharp pointed, yellowish-brown; raphe buried in a shallow groove; chalaza of average size, above center, very irregular in shape, rather distinct.