The grapes of New York

by U. P. Hedrick

WORDEN.
(Labrusca.)

1. Am. Hort. An., 1870:95. 2. Wis. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1873:71. 3. Mich. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1874:258. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1881:24. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1881:42, 115, 121, 123, 136, 144, 168. 6. W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 27:30, 97. 1882. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1885:103, 106. 8. Wis. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1885:176. 9. Ohio Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1886-7:171. 10. Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1887:91. 11. Wis. Sta. An. Rpt., 5:162. 1888. 12. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 9:328. 1890. 13. Miss. Sta. Bul., 22:12, 13. 1892. 14. Bush. Cat., 1894:190. 15. Col. Sta. Bul., 29:20. 1894. 16. Tenn. Sta. Bul., Vol. 9:189. 1896. 17. Gar. and For., 9:300. 1896. 18. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:537, 542, 543, 544, 545, 547, 553, 557. 1898. 19. Ev. Nat. Fruits, 1898:75. 20. Ont. Fr. Exp. Stas. Rpt., 8:11, fig., 49. 1901. 21. Mich. Sta. Sp. Bul., 27:10. 1904.

Worden’s Seedling (1, 6). Worden’s Seedling (12, 14).

Worden possesses most of the good qualities of Concord and lacks some of its bad ones. Of all the offspring of Concord, this variety is best known and is most meritorious. It is of the type into which nearly all of the black seedlings of Concord fall and surpasses all of these in quality though it does not equal the best of the green seedlings of the parent in fruit characters, especially in flavor. It differs chiefly from Concord in having larger berries and bunches, in having better quality and in being from a week to ten days earlier. It is equally hardy, healthy, vigorous and productive. It is more fastidious in its adaptations to soil and other conditions than its parents but now and then it is found to do even better under some conditions.

Worden is not as good a grape in many minor characters as the Concord and this is the chief reason why it is not grown as much as its distinguished parent. Its chief fault is that the fruit cracks badly, often preventing the profitable marketing of a crop. The Concord cracks also in unfavorable weather but the cracked berries often, or nearly always, partly or wholly recover from the injury through the growing over of the wounds. The Worden lacks the power of overcoming the cracking. Beside this tenderness of skin, the pulp of Worden is softer than that of Concord, there is more juice and the keeping qualities are not as good, so that the variety hardly ships as well as the more commonly grown grape. In some seasons there is a decided tendency to shell or shatter if the fruit is overripe. Worden is very popular in New York and the North both for commercial plantations and the garden. It is a more desirable inhabitant of the garden and for nearby markets, because of higher quality, than Concord, and under conditions well suited to it, is better as a commercial variety, as it is handsomer as well as of better quality. In the markets it ought to sell for a higher price than Concord if desired for immediate consumption and if it can be promptly harvested, as it does not hang well on the vines. In many markets Worden is sold as Concord and has the effect of extending the Concord season. Its earlier season is against it for a commercial variety in the great Chautauqua Grape Belt of New York and with the defects mentioned will prevent its taking the place of Concord to a great degree.

The Worden was originated by Schuyler Worden of Minetto, Oswego County, New York, from seed of Concord planted about 1863. It bore its first fruit when four years old. Its history is peculiar in that it was for many years unappreciated, being confused with Concord, which was frequently sent out as Worden. It was placed on the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1881, where it still remains. The variety was given its name by J. A. Place of Oswego, New York, a local horticulturist of some note and a friend of Worden.

Vine vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive, yielding as heavy crops as Concord. Canes above medium in size and number, thick, dark brown with reddish tinge; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes intermediate in length; diaphragm thick; pith of fair size; shoots pubescent; tendrils continuous, somewhat slender, bifid, sometimes trifid.

Leaf-buds small, short, slender, pointed, open in mid-season. Young leaves tinged on under side and along extreme margin of upper side with light rose-carmine. Leaves healthy, large, thick; upper surface dark green, glossy, smooth; lower surface light bronze, pubescent; leaf usually not lobed; petiolar sinus of average depth, medium to wide, often urn-shaped; teeth shallow, medium in width. Flowers fertile, open in mid-season or earlier; stamens upright.

Fruit ripens one or two weeks earlier than Concord, does not keep long. Clusters large, medium to long, broad, tapering to cylindrical, usually single-shouldered, somewhat compact; peduncle short, thick; pedicel of medium length, slender, covered with few small warts; brush long, light green. Berries large, roundish to oval, dark purplish-black to black, glossy, covered with heavy blue bloom, not always persistent, moderately firm. Skin of average thickness, somewhat tender, cracks badly, adheres slightly to the pulp, contains considerable dark red pigment, astringent. Flesh greenish, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tough, slightly foxy, sweet at skin to tart at center, mild, good to very good in quality. Seeds adherent, one to five, average three, large, broad, medium to short, blunt, brownish; raphe buried in a shallow groove; chalaza of average size, slightly above center, oval, somewhat obscure.