E. S. Rogers of Salem, Massachusetts, produced Goethe as one of his famous Labrusca-Vinifera hybrids and for its early history the reader is referred to "Rogers' Hybrids." It is first mentioned separately from others of these productions in 1858 under the name _Rogers' No. 1_. It was placed upon the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1867, where it still remains. In 1869 Mr. Rogers named the grape Goethe after the great German poet and naturalist. While highly esteemed in the North, it succeeds better and is therefore more commonly grown in the Middle and South Atlantic States and in the valleys of the Ohio and of the lower Missouri. Vine vigorous to medium, hardy, variable in productiveness, somewhat subject to mildew in unfavorable locations. Canes above medium to short, of average number and thickness, rather dark brown; nodes enlarged, slightly flattened; internodes very short; diaphragm thick; pith below medium in size; shoots strongly pubescent; tendrils continuous with tendency to intermittent, rather long, bifid to trifid. Leaf-buds intermediate in size, length and thickness, conical to nearly obtuse, open very late. Young leaves tinged lightly on under side and along margin of upper side with rose-carmine. Leaves variable in size, irregularly roundish, medium to somewhat thin; upper surface light green, glossy, of average smoothness; lower surface pale green to bronze, pubescent, veins very distinct; leaf usually not lobed, with terminus broadly acute; petiolar sinus of average depth, narrow, closed and frequently overlapping; basal sinus usually lacking; lateral sinus shallow, often a mere notch; teeth shallow to medium, rather narrow. Flowers partly fertile, open in mid-season; stamens upright.