Fruit ripens earlier than Concord or in some seasons about with Worden, keeps fairly well. Clusters medium to large, above average length, slender, cylindrical to tapering, usually single-shouldered, very compact; peduncle intermediate in length, large; pedicel short, thick, covered with few, small, inconspicuous warts; brush light brown. Berries large to medium, roundish to somewhat oval when strongly compacted, dark red, duller than Wyoming, covered with thin lilac bloom, persistent, firm. Skin medium to thin, somewhat tender, contains a small amount of light red pigment and some astringency. Flesh pale green, translucent, juicy, rather tough, sometimes stringy, foxy, sweet next the skin to slightly tart at center, fair to good in quality, not equal to Concord but superior to Wyoming. Seeds separate with difficulty from the pulp, one to four, average three, small, broad, short to medium, blunt, dark brown; raphe obscure; chalaza intermediate in size, slightly above center, oval, distinct.
LUTIE.
(Labrusca.)
1. Gar. Mon., 26:307. 1884. 2. Ib., 27:304. 1885. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1885:85. 4. Ib., 1889:120, 136. 5. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 13:605. 1894. 6. Bush. Cat., 1894:150. 7. Tenn. Sta. Bul., Vol. 9:192. 1896. 8. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:532, 545, 547, 555. 1898. 9. Mich. Sta. Bul., 169:172. 1899. 10. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1899:29. 11. Kan. Sta. Bul., 110:236. 1902.
As with the preceding variety, Lutie is chiefly valuable for its vine characters. It is vigorous, hardy, healthy, and fruitful, though scarcely equaling Lucile in any of these characters. Pomologists differ widely as to the merits of the fruit, some claiming high qualities for it and others declaring that it is no better than the average wild Labrusca. The difference in opinion is partly due to a peculiarity of the fruit. If eaten fresh from the vines, the quality, while far from being of the best, is not wholly bad, but after being picked for several days it develops so much foxiness of flavor and aroma that it is scarcely edible. As Lutie grows on the Station grounds its fruit has little merit, though somewhat attractive in appearance, and the variety can be recommended only for vigor, hardiness, resistance to disease and fruitfulness. It is given the prominence of an illustration in The Grapes of New York out of respect for the opinions of others rather than for its merits as it grows here. It makes a better showing in other grape regions.
Lutie is a chance seedling found on the grounds of Dr. L. C. Chisholm of Spring Hill, near Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. It was introduced in 1885 by Messrs. Coleman, Webber and Newson of Nashville. Lutie was placed on the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1899 where it has since been retained. Its gross characters are much the same as those of Dracut Amber, Lucile, Wyoming, and Woodruff, all typical red Labruscas and worthy of cultivation only where better-flavored varieties cannot be grown.
Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive. Canes short, of average number, slender, dark reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, roundish; internodes short; diaphragm thin; pith inclined to small; shoots pubescent; tendrils continuous, short to medium, bifid.
