Empire State (Plate XVII) competes with Niagara and Diamond for supremacy among green grapes. The variety is as vigorous in growth, as free from parasites, and on vines of the same age is as productive, but is less hardy, and the grapes are not as attractive in appearance as those of the other varieties named. In particular, the clusters are small in some localities, a defect which can be overcome only by severe pruning or by thinning. The quality is very good, approaching the flavor of the Old World grapes, its slight wild taste suggesting one of the Muscats. Empire State ripens early, hangs long on the vine and keeps well after picking without losing flavor. This grape originated with James H. Ricketts, Newburgh, New York, bearing fruit first in 1879. Vine vigorous, somewhat tender. Canes short, few, slender, brownish; nodes enlarged; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, bifid. Leaves small; upper surface light green, glossy, smooth or somewhat rugose; lower surface tinged with bronze, heavily pubescent; lobes three to five when present, terminal one acuminate; petiolar sinus deep, narrow, often closed and overlapping; basal sinus variable in depth and width; lateral sinus deep, narrow, often enlarged at base; teeth deep, wide. Flowers self-fertile, open late; stamens upright. Fruit mid-season, keeps well. Clusters large, long, slender, cylindrical, frequently single-shouldered, compact; pedicel slender with small warts; brush short, light green. Berries medium or small, round, pale yellowish-green, covered with thin bloom, persistent, firm; skin thick, adherent to the pulp, slightly astringent; flesh pale yellowish-green, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, tender, agreeably flavored; good to very good. Seeds adherent, one to four, small, broad, notched, short, blunt, plump, brown. [Illustration: PLATE XXVII.--Salem (x2/3).] ETTA (Vulpina, Labrusca) In appearance, taste and texture of fruit, Etta is very similar to Elvira, of which it is a seedling. The small, yellow clusters which characterize Elvira are reproduced in Etta, which differs chiefly in having a shoulder quite as large as the main bunch itself and in having a better flavor, lacking the slight foxiness of Elvira. The vine is very vigorous, hardy, and is productive to a fault. The fruit ripens with that of Catawba. The tendency of Elvira to crack and overbear influenced the originator of that variety, Jacob Rommel, Morrison, Missouri, to try for a grape without these faults, and the result was Etta from seed of Elvira. The fruit was first exhibited in 1879. Vine very vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, numerous, light to dark brown; tendrils continuous, bifid. Leaves large, thick; upper surface dark green, glossy, smooth; lower surface pale green, somewhat cobwebby. Flowers self-fertile, early; stamens upright.