Jefferson

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Jefferson (Plate XXI) is an offspring of Concord crossed with Iona,
and resembles Concord in vigor, productiveness and healthiness of
vine, and Iona in color and quality of fruit. The vine produces its
fruit two weeks later than Concord and is not as hardy, faults that
debar it from taking high rank as a commercial grape. Fortunately the
vines yield readily to laying down for winter protection so that even
in commercial plantations it is not difficult to prevent winter
injury. The bunches of Jefferson are large, well-formed, compact with
berries of uniform size and color. The flesh is firm yet tender, juicy
with a rich, vinous flavor and a delicate aroma which persists even
after the berries have dried into raisins. The fruit ships and keeps
well, the berries adhering to the cluster and the fruit retaining its
freshness into late winter. Jefferson is widely distributed and is
well known by viticulturists in eastern America. It is not particular
as to localities, if the season be long and the climate temperate, and
thrives in all soils. The variety originated with J. H. Ricketts,
Newburgh, New York; it fruited first in 1874.

Vine vigorous, healthy, doubtfully hardy, productive. Canes short,
numerous, light to dark brown; nodes enlarged, round; internodes
short; tendrils intermittent, short, bifid or trifid. Leaves
healthy; upper surface light green, older leaves rugose; lower
surface pale green, strongly pubescent; leaf usually not lobed
with terminus acute; petiolar sinus narrow, sometimes closed and
overlapping; basal sinus usually absent; lateral sinus shallow,
often a mere notch; teeth regular, shallow. Flowers self-fertile,
open late; stamens upright.

Fruit late, keeps and ships well. Clusters large, cylindrical,
usually single-shouldered, sometimes double-shouldered, compact;
pedicel short, slender with a few inconspicuous warts; brush long,
slender, pale yellowish-green. Berries medium in size, oval, light
and dark red, glossy with thin bloom, persistent, very firm; skin
thick, tough, free, slightly astringent; flesh light green,
translucent, juicy, coarse-grained, tender, vinous; good to best.
Seeds free, one to four, broad, short, blunt, plump, brown.

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