Captain was produced by T. V. Munson from seed of America fertilized with R. W. Munson.
Vine vigorous, hardy, moderately productive. Canes long to medium, numerous, covered with rather thick blue bloom; tendrils intermittent, bifid and trifid. Leaves very large to medium, thick, not pubescent but very hairy along ribs. Flowers semi-fertile, open rather late; stamens upright. Fruit ripens later than Concord, does not keep long although it ships well. Clusters large to above medium, long, slender, sometimes double-shouldered, very loose. Berries very large to below medium, inclined to roundish, black, covered with heavy blue bloom, persistent. Skin contains a large amount of purplish-red pigment. Flesh medium juicy, coarse, tender, lacks character, tart from skin to center, fair in quality. Seeds numerous, separate easily from the pulp.
Lincecumii, Vinifera, Labrusca, Bourquiniana?
=1.= _Gar. Mon._, =28=:304. 1886. =2.= _Rural N. Y._, =50=:221, _fig._, 643, 690. 1891. =3.= _Ib._, =51=:147, 607, 774. 1892. _fig._ =4.= Husmann, =1895=:127. =5.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._, =1897=:20. =6.= _N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt._, =17=:548, 554. 1898. =7.= _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =48=:1149, 1154. 1898. _fig._ =8.= _Mo. Sta. Bul._, =46=:38, 43, 45, 49. 1899. =9.= _Rural N. Y._, =59=:674, 690, 752, 770, 802, 819. 1900. =10.= _Ga. Sta. Bul._, =53=:41, 51, 52, 54. 1901.
The Carman is another grape having the characters of three species--_Vitis lincecumii_, _V. labrusca_ and _V. vinifera_--and hence of interest to grape improvers at least. In the twenty-three years it has been known in New York it has not become popular with grape-growers chiefly because it ripens too late for this region and when ripe does not attain the high quality ascribed to it elsewhere. Its most valuable character is that of long keeping, whether while hanging on the vine or after harvesting.
T. V. Munson of Denison, Texas, raised Carman from seed of a wild Post-oak grape taken from the woods, pollinated with mixed pollen of Triumph and Herbemont. It was introduced in 1892 and placed on the American Pomological Society fruit catalog list in 1897. The variety was named in honor of E. S. Carman, for many years editor of the _Rural New Yorker_, and a plant-breeder of note.