Fruit ripens with Catawba or after, keeps fairly well. Clusters large, rather long and broad, tapering, usually single-shouldered but sometimes with a double shoulder, usually two bunches per shoot, intermediate in compactness; peduncle of average length and thickness; pedicel long to medium, moderately thick, nearly smooth; brush below average length, green with yellowish-brown tinge. Berries large, roundish-oval, dark purplish-black to bluish-black, rather dull, covered with dark lilac or slightly blue bloom, persistent, moderately firm. Skin intermediate in thickness, tough, nearly free from the pulp, contains little, if any, pigment, not astringent. Flesh greenish, translucent, juicy, somewhat tender, slightly vinous, good in quality. Seeds separate rather easily from the pulp, one to six, average three, above medium to large, nearly long, intermediate in breadth, slightly notched with a one-sided tendency, riper seeds brownish; raphe obscure; chalaza of average size, above center, variable in shape, not distinct. [Illustration: HIGHLAND] HOSFORD. (Labrusca.) =1.= _Can. Hort._, =11=:287. 1888. =2.= _Rural N. Y._, =49=:737, _fig._, 739, 856. 1890. =3.= _U. S. D. A. Rpt._, =1892=:264. =4.= _Bush. Cat._, =1894=:138. =5.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._, =1894=:75. =6.= _Mich. Sta. Bul._, =169=:171. 1899. =7.= _Ga. Sta. Bul._, =53=:45. 1901. HOSFORD'S MAMMOTH SEEDLING (2). HOSFORD'S SEEDLING (1). Hosford is an offspring of Concord, differing from the parent chiefly in the greater size of bunch and berry and in being less fruitful. The variety is surpassed by Worden and Eaton, of the same type, and is probably not worth cultivation. It is claimed by some that this variety is identical with Eaton. It is true that Hosford has a marked resemblance to Eaton but there are noticeable differences in both vine and fruit characters and the pure seedlings of the two varieties are entirely different, those of Eaton being much darker in color and more vigorous. Hosford was sent out several years before Eaton. The vine of this variety looks very much like Concord except that the indentations along the margins of the leaves are deeper. As a rule the black seedlings of Concord which have been introduced are larger in cluster and berry than the parent and either not as high in quality or no higher, differing materially from Concord's light-colored seedlings, which are usually smaller in bunch and berry, or at least not larger, and of distinctly better quality. Hosford is a typical black seedling in the above respects. This variety originated in the garden of George Hosford of Ionia, Michigan. It was found by the owner about 1876 as a chance seedling growing between two Concord vines.