Fruit ripens before mid-season, does not always keep well. Clusters medium to below in size, short, intermediate in breadth, tapering to cylindrical, usually single-shouldered, average three bunches per shoot, medium to compact; peduncle below medium length, rather slender; pedicel long, slender, covered with few, small, inconspicuous warts; brush short, wine-colored. Berries below medium to small, uniform, slightly oblate to roundish, black, glossy, covered with thick, blue bloom, persistent, firm. Skin thin, tender, does not adhere to the pulp, contains a very dark wine-colored pigment, not astringent. Flesh pale green, often with a slight reddish tinge, translucent, juicy, fine-grained, somewhat tender, spicy, tart to acid, fair in quality. Seeds separate easily from the pulp, one to five, average three and four, medium to small, rather short, intermediate in breadth, light brown; raphe obscure; chalaza of average size, slightly above center, oval to pear-shaped, distinct. [Illustration: HYBRID FRANC] IDEAL. (Labrusca, Vinifera, Bourquiniana.) =1.= _Kan. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1886=:187. =2.= _Mo. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1890=:155. =3.= _Ib._, =1891=:128. =4.= _Bush. Cat._, =1894=:140. =5.= _Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1897=:16. =6.= _Va. Sta. Bul._, =94=:137. 1898. =7.= _Mo. Sta. Bul._, =46=:39, 42, 44, 46, 55. 1899. =8.= Budd-Hansen, =2=:380. 1902. _Burr No. 9_ (1). Ideal is a handsome seedling of the Delaware, from which it differs chiefly in being much larger in bunch and berry, attaining in both of these characters nearly the size of Catawba. In Kansas and Missouri it is most highly recommended, not only for the high quality of the fruit, ranking with Delaware in quality, but because of vigorous, healthy, productive vines. But in New York, on the Station grounds at least, the vines are precariously hardy and not sufficiently fruitful, healthy nor vigorous to warrant a very high recommendation for the variety. Were the variety of recent introduction it might be recommended for trial but it has been grown for more than twenty years and has, therefore, been well tried and has not proved of general value. It may be worth planting for home use. Originated by John Burr of Leavenworth, Kansas, over thirty years ago from seed of Delaware, the attention of the public was attracted to Ideal about 1890, first by glowing descriptions of the variety from the originator and his friend and co-worker, Dr. Stayman, and later by reports from various persons who had tested the variety. It does not appear to have ever been regularly introduced but was sent to various persons for testing by whom it was distributed. It is now found only in the occasional variety vineyard and apparently not offered for sale by any nurserymen. Ideal is better known, and possibly succeeds better in the West than in the East.