affects somewhat the quality of the grape as a whole.

The flesh should be described with respect to color and texture. In texture it may be soft and melting, stringy, tough, or granular. If

FIG. 31-DIFFERENT FORMS OF GRAPE SEEDS

the berries are very juicy, or strikingly deficient in this quality, it will be best to mention the fact here.

The seeds of grapes offer very important characters for the purpose of classification. These differences will be seen in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 31), but it requires some

familiarity with grapes in order to point these out tersely and accurately in a description. It will be seen at once that the seeds vary as to size, but these differences are often due to local circumstances, and are influenced particularly by the number of seeds in the berry and by pollination. Differences of form are much more constant and characteristic. Some varities have the seeds very broad, others comparatively long. Many of them are cordate, or heartshaped, while others are more nearly ovate, or egg-shaped, and still others are almost obovate, or reverse egg-shaped. Some seeds are notched at the top, while others are smoothly rounded. Some have a long beak at the bottom, in others the beak is short and blunt. On the back of every grape seed is a little mark or boss, known as the chalaza, which may also vary considerably in different varieties. In all, or nearly all, our native American grapes it is found near the center of the back of the seed, or even somewhat below the center. In most European varieties, on the other hand, it lies above the middle, somewhere near the top. It also varies in size and shape. This chalaza is connected with the ventral side of the seed by a raphe, funiculus, or cord, which runs up

ward over the top of the seed. This raphe, or cord, is much larger and more prominent in some varieties than in others.

The flavor of a grape, as of any other fruit, should not be a matter of individual opinion, but should be recorded as a plain fact. Flavor depends on the degree of acidity of the fruit. Some grapes may be called sweet, perhaps, and all varieties undoubtedly contain considerable quantities of saccharine matter. Nevertheless, the acids nearly always predominate over the sugars to such an extent as to furnish the real basis of the flavor. Most grapes, therefore, are mild acid, sour, or very sour.

The quality may be poor, fair, good, or very good. As in the case of other fruits, these terms represent a personal judgment on the part of the one who writes the description. (This point is fully discussed in Chapter IV., page 55.)

The season may best be described by giving the date at which the fruit is really ripe and fit for table use at the point where it is grown. Some varieties keep much better than others, holding in storage for months even, and such sorts might be said to have a long season. Any such observations regarding keeping

quality, however, can better be recorded in the general remarks at the foot of the description. This matter also is more fully discussed in another connection (see Chapter V., page 66).

The use to which grapes can be put varies considerably, and some mention of this matter may properly be made in the description. The greater part of the grapes grown in the Eastern States are used for eating fresh out of hand. Under the head of use, then, one might enter the word table. If the variety is especially attractive in appearance and high in quality, it may be recommended for dessert. Many important varieties are grown only for wine; but it may be recalled in this connection that much of the best wine made in America comes from such varieties as Goethe, Catawba, and Delaware- varieties which stand high as table or dessert grapes.

The vine should be described as to vigor and as to its susceptibility to disease or insects. Mildew is the disease usually thought of when rating vines as to their relative diseaseresistance; and this matter of susceptibility to or immunity from the attacks of the downy. mildew forms one of the most important