Narrative
Type = Wine grape. Per Hedrick (see citation): "Black Hamburg is a variety of V. vinifera, impossible to grow out of doors in eastern America, but illustrated and described here because it is one of the parents of many hybrids with American species and because it represents, in fruit characters at least, about all that is desirable in a good grape. Since it is a standard of excellence which American breeders of table grapes have long sought to attain, we may name its points of superiority over the table grapes now grown in our vineyards. 1st. Bunch and berry are large, well formed, and uniform. 2nd. The fruits have a higher sugar and solid content than most American grapes and keep better, ship better, make better wine and will make raisins. 3rd. The flavor, to most palates, is richer, more delicate, and lacks the acidity of some American grapes and the foxiness of others. 4th. The pulp and skin of Black Hamburg are more tender than the varieties of the species of this country and the seeds are readily separated from the pulp. 5th. The berries do not shell from the stem readily. 6th. The vines are more compact in habit, make a shorter and stouter annual growth, and hence require less pruning and training. 7th. The fruit is borne in greater quantity, vine for vine or acre for acre. Added to the above qualities which make it desirable as a parent when crosses are made between the grapes of this country and V. vinifera, are comparative hardiness among its kind, a short seasonal cycle of vegetation giving early maturity to fruit, ability to stand more hardships than most of its species, and especially ability to mature its fruit with as small amount of solar heat as any of its species. Its weaknesses when planted out of doors in eastern America are those of its species, which wholly prevent its successful cultivation in the vineyards of this region and make it of interest and value only in breeding and as an ideal toward which to breed. [...] Vine vigorous, tender, productive. Canes long, numerous, rather thick to medium, light brown but darker at nodes, covered with faint pubescence; nodes enlarged, slightly flattened; internodes short to medium; diaphragm thick; pith large; shoots slightly pubescent; tendrils intermittent, frequently several nodes with no tendrils, long, bifid to trifid, dehisce early. Leaf-buds large to medium, rather long, somwhat thick, conical to obtuse. Leaves good size, thin; upper surface light green, rather dull, of average smoothness; lower surface slightly lighter than upper surface, with small amount of pubescence, hairy; veins moderately distinct; lobes vary from none to five, terminal lobe nearly acute; petiolar sinus often strongly urn-shaped, of average depth, nearly narrow, sometimes closed and overlapping; basal sinus shallow to narrow; lateral sinus rather deep to narrow, often notched; teeth very irregular in depth and width. Fruit ripens early in October, keeps well. Clusters large, long to medium, rather broad, cylindrical to tapering, inclined to irregular, usually single-shouldered, nearly compact; peduncle medium to short, somewhat thick; pedicel long, slender, covered with small, numerous, prominent warts; brush short, thick, tinged with red. Berries rather large, oval to nearly roundish, dark purple ot nearly black, slightly glossy, covered with faint blue or lilac bloom, do not drop from pedicel, moderate in firmness. Skin thin, tender, adheres to the pulp, contains no pigment, not astringent. Flesh pale green, tender, fine-grained, vinous, sprightly, rather sweet and refreshing, very good to best. Seeds separate easily, one to four averaging two or three, above medium size, long, rather narrow, sharply pointed, brownish; raphe obscure; chalaza intermediate in size, decidedly above center, distinct, circular to oval."