Triumph has, in general, the vine characters of the Labrusca parent Concord, especially its habit of growth, vigor, productiveness and foliage characters, falling short in hardiness, resistance to fungal diseases and earliness of maturity. Even in New York the vines are as vigorous and set nearly as much fruit as Concord; but they are injured in cold winters unless protected, and suffer in particular from the mildews. The fruit matures with or a little later than the Catawba. It proves, in regions where it is largely grown, to be quite adaptable to different soils and locations and the small amount of data at hand on this point in New York suggests that this adaptability holds for the grape regions of this State as well. It prefers, if anything, a deep soil to a shallow one and alluvial or clayey soils to lighter lands.
While the vine characters of Triumph are those of Labrusca there is scarcely a suggestion of the coarseness, or of the foxy odor and taste of Labrusca; and the objectionable seeds, pulp, and skin of the native grape give way to the far less objectionable structures of Vinifera. Grapes of this variety do not have the firm and often disagreeable pulpiness of many other similar hybrids, as for instance most of Rogers’ hybrids. The flesh is tender and melting and the flavor rich, sweet, vinous, pure and delicate, giving the variety high rank among the best American grapes. In the North, as would be expected from its lack of proper maturity, the flavor is insipid as compared with the same character in the South. The skins of the berries are faulty being more apparent in eating than those of Vinifera and under unfavorable conditions crack badly; because of the tenderness of the skin the variety neither ships nor keeps remarkably well. Triumph is not only one of the best dessert grapes but it is said to make a very good white wine.
There are numerous pure-bred and cross-bred offsprings of Triumph in America which indicate that this variety may be very successfully used in grape-breeding. Munson of Texas, in particular, among other viticulturists, has used it to advantage in breeding work, his Bailey, Big Extra, Big Hope, Carman, Early Golden, Fern Munson, Governor Ross, Newman, Ragan, Rommel, R. W. Munson, W. B. Munson, all having been bred with Triumph as an ancestor.
When all of its qualities and characters are considered, and for all parts of America, it can hardly be disputed that Triumph is the best of the hybrids of the two species from which it comes that has been produced by artificial fertilization. That it does not succeed better in New York is a distinct loss to the viticulture of the State.
Triumph was originated nearly a half century ago by George W. Campbell of Delaware, Ohio, from seed of Concord fertilized by Chasselas Musque (Joslyn’s St. Albans). The originator considered it of no value in his vineyard but sent it to Samuel Miller of Bluffton, Missouri, who gave it the name Triumph. It was placed on the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1883.
Vine vigorous, doubtfully hardy, medium to very productive, somewhat subject to attacks of mildew. Canes medium to long, intermediate in number and thickness, moderately dark brown, surface covered with a slight amount of bloom; nodes enlarged, variable in shape; internodes medium to above in length; diaphragm thick; pith medium in size; shoots slightly pubescent; tendrils intermittent, medium to long, trifid, sometimes bifid.