Diana

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Diana (Plate XII) is a seedling of Catawba to which its fruit bears
strong resemblance, differing chiefly in having lighter color, in
being less pulpy and more juicy. The flavor resembles that of Catawba
but has less of the wild taste. The chief point of superiority of
Diana over Catawba is in earliness, the crop ripening ten days sooner,
making possible its culture far to the north. The defects of Diana
are: the vine is tender in cold winters; the grapes ripen unevenly;
the berries and foliage are susceptible to fungi; and the vine is a
shy bearer. Diana demands poor, dry, gravelly soil without much humus
or nitrogen. On clays, loams or rich soils, the vines make a rank
growth, and the fruits are few, late and of poor quality. The vine
needs to be long pruned and to have all surplus bunches removed,
leaving a small crop to mature. Diana is a satisfactory grape for the
amateur, and where it does especially well proves profitable for the
local market. Mrs. Diana Crehore, Milton, Massachusetts, grew Diana
from seed of Catawba, planted about 1834.

Vine vigorous, doubtfully hardy, often unproductive. Canes
pubescent, long, reddish-brown, covered with thin bloom; nodes
enlarged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils intermittent, long,
bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface light green, heavily
pubescent; lobes three to five, terminal one acute; petiolar sinus
deep, wide, often closed and overlapping; basal sinus shallow;
lateral sinus narrow; teeth shallow. Flowers self-fertile, open in
mid-season; stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps well. Clusters large, broad, tapering,
occasionally shouldered, compact; pedicel covered with small
warts; brush slender, pale green. Berries medium in size, slightly
ovate, light red covered with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin
thick, tough, slightly adherent; flesh pale green, translucent,
juicy, tough, fine-grained, vinous, good. Seeds adherent, one to
three, light brown.

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