PERKINS.
(Labrusca, Vinifera.)
1. Horticulturist, 14:246. 1859. 2. Mag. Hort., 27:523, 532. 1861. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1862:147. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1875:24. 5. Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1878:8. 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1883:58. 7. Mo. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1883:40. 8. Neb. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:93. 9. Ill. Sta. Bul., 28:261. 1893. 10. Bush. Cat., 1894:168, 169. fig. 11. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:534, 548, 556. 1898. 12. Mich. Sta. Bul., 169:174. 1899. 13. Ala. Sta. Bul., 110:69, 70, 88. 1900. 14. S. C. Sta. Bul., 58:7, 8. 1901. fig.
Perkins was at one time grown largely as an early grape but has been very generally discarded on account of its poor quality. Its pulp is hard and its flavor is that of Wyoming, Northern Muscadine and their like, all easily identified and best characterized by their disagreeable foxiness. As with nearly all Labruscas it is a very poor keeper. Notwithstanding the faults of its fruit, Perkins may have value in regions where grape-growing is precarious; for it is one of the most reliable grapes cultivated, being hardy, vigorous, productive, and very free from fungal diseases. Added to the above qualities, it is early, thus making a plant well worthy the attention of the grape-breeder.
This variety is said to be an accidental seedling found about 1830 in the garden of Jacob Perkins of Bridgewater, Massachusetts. For many years it had only a local reputation and became known to viticulturists about 1860. It was placed on the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1875 and although several efforts have been made to have it removed it still remains. It was suspected by some of those familiar with its early history to be a seedling of Isabella or Catawba but there is little or nothing in the vine or fruit to substantiate such a supposition.
Vine vigorous, healthy, hardy, productive. Canes long to medium, numerous, thick to medium, rather dark brown, deepening in color at the nodes, surface heavily pubescent; tendrils continuous, bifid to trifid. Leaves above medium to small, thick; upper surface medium green, medium to slightly rugose; lower surface grayish-white, heavily pubescent; veins distinct. Flowers nearly fertile, open medium early; stamens upright.
Fruit ripens earlier than Delaware, ships well for an early grape. Clusters intermediate in size and length, broad to medium, cylindrical to slightly tapering, often with a short single shoulder, compact. Berries large to medium, distinctly oval, dull green changing to an attractive pale lilac or light red when fully ripe, covered with rather abundant gray or lilac bloom, inclined to drop considerably from the pedicel, somewhat soft. Skin thin, tough, contains no pigment. Flesh nearly white, medium juicy, stringy, fine-grained, firm and meaty, very foxy, sweet at skin to nearly acid at center, poor to fair in quality. Seeds decidedly adherent, numerous, medium to above in size, width and length, somewhat blunt, light brown with yellow tips; raphe buried in a narrow, nearly deep groove; chalaza small, distinctly above center, oval to pear-shaped, rather distinct.
POCKLINGTON.
(Labrusca.)
1. Gar. Mon., 21:207, 362. 1879. 2. Mass. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1880:238. 3. Gar. Mon., 22:176. 1880. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1881:32, 44. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1881:24. 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1883:58. 7. Rural N. Y., 45:622, 653. 1886. 8. Ohio Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1886-87:171. 9. Ill. Sta. Bul., 28:266. 1893. 10. Bush. Cat., 1894:169. 11. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 13:605. 1894. 12. Ib., 15:432, 433. 1896. 13. Ib., 17:534, 542, 544, 545, 547, 552, 556. 1898. 14. Ga. Sta. Bul., 53:48, 52, 58. 1901. 15. Kan. Sta. Bul., 110:237. 1902.
Golden Pocklington (10).
Before the advent of Niagara, Pocklington was, all things considered, the leading white grape, having very generally displaced Martha. The variety had the fatal fault, however, of ripening late in the latitude of New York which, with some minor defects, has caused it to fall below Niagara in value for the grape districts of this region if not for the whole country. It is now being grown less and less, and though still commonly found, must soon become largely a grape for the amateur and the collector.