CARMAN.
Lincecumii, Vinifera, Labrusca, Bourquiniana?
1. Gar. Mon., 28:304. 1886. 2. Rural N. Y., 50:221, fig., 643, 690. 1891. 3. Ib., 51:147, 607, 774. 1892. fig. 4. Husmann, 1895:127. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1897:20. 6. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 17:548, 554. 1898. 7. Tex. Sta. Bul., 48:1149, 1154. 1898. fig. 8. Mo. Sta. Bul., 46:38, 43, 45, 49. 1899. 9. Rural N. Y., 59:674, 690, 752, 770, 802, 819. 1900. 10. Ga. Sta. Bul., 53:41, 51, 52, 54. 1901.
The Carman is another grape having the characters of three species—Vitis lincecumii, V. labrusca and V. vinifera—and hence of interest to grape improvers at least. In the twenty-three years it has been known in New York it has not become popular with grape-growers chiefly because it ripens too late for this region and when ripe does not attain the high quality ascribed to it elsewhere. Its most valuable character is that of long keeping, whether while hanging on the vine or after harvesting.
T. V. Munson of Denison, Texas, raised Carman from seed of a wild Post-oak grape taken from the woods, pollinated with mixed pollen of Triumph and Herbemont. It was introduced in 1892 and placed on the American Pomological Society fruit catalog list in 1897. The variety was named in honor of E. S. Carman, for many years editor of the Rural New Yorker, and a plant-breeder of note.
Vine very vigorous to medium, hardy, lacking in productiveness. Canes long, numerous, thick, brown to reddish-brown; nodes but slightly enlarged, flattened; internodes long to medium; diaphragm somewhat thick; pith above medium size; shoots very pubescent; tendrils intermittent, long, trifid.
Leaf-buds rather large, nearly short, thick, conical to obtuse, open rather late. Young leaves slightly tinged with rose on upper and lower sides. Leaves in good condition until injured by frost, large, thick; upper surface light to dark green, somewhat glossy, older leaves rugose; lower surface pale green, pubescent; veins indistinct; terminal lobe acute to obtuse; petiolar sinus deep to narrow; basal sinus often absent or shallow; lateral sinus medium to shallow when present; teeth intermediate in depth and width. Flowers on plan of five or six, fertile or nearly so, open very late; stamens upright.