arged, flattened; internodes long; tendrils
intermittent, long, bifid or trifid. Leaves large, round; upper
surface dark green, dull, smooth; lower surface pale green with
some pubescence; leaf entire, terminus obtuse; petiolar sinus
deep, narrow, closed, overlapping; basal and lateral sinuses
lacking; teeth shallow. Flowers self-sterile, open in mid-season;
stamens reflexed.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Clusters large, broad, tapering, two
to three clusters per shoot, heavily single-shouldered, loose;
pedicel thick with small russet warts; brush yellowish-green.
Berries large, round-oval, flattened, dull black, covered with
thick bloom, persistent, firm; skin thick, tough, adherent,
astringent; flesh light green, translucent, juicy, tender,
fine-grained; very good. Seeds adherent, three to six, large,
broad, notched, long with swollen neck, blunt, brown with yellow
tips.

HERCULES

(Labrusca, Vinifera)

Hercules is characterized by very large berries, fruit handsomely
colored and cluster large and well-formed. The flavor, while not of
the best, is good. Added to the desirable qualities of the fruit, the
vines are hardy, vigorous and productive. These good characters,
however, cannot make up for the several defects of the variety. The
grapes drop and crack badly and the pulp is tough and adheres too
firmly to the seed for a dessert grape, so that the variety is
worthless except for breeding purposes. Hercules was introduced by G.
A. Ensenberger, Bloomington, Illinois, about 1890; its parentage is
unknown.

Vine very vigorous, hardy, very productive. Canes long, dark
reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long;
tendrils continuous, bifid. Leaves large; upper surface light
green, glossy, smooth; lower surface grayish-green, pubescent;
lobes one to three, terminus acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow;
basal sinus usually absent; lateral sinus shallow; teeth shallow.
Flowers self-sterile, open in mid-season; stamens reflexed.

Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Clusters very large, broad,
tapering, one to three clusters per shoot, compact; brush pale
green. Berries very large, round, black, glossy with heavy bloom,
firm; skin adherent, astringent; flesh green, translucent, juicy,
very tough, coarse, stringy, foxy; fair in quality. Seeds
adherent, one to five, large, broad, deeply notched, blunt