Volume 45 Number 1 Article 3
Year 1991 Month 1
Title: The Minn. #78 Grape -Lady of Mystery
Author: E. Swenson
Abstract:
In 1884 Louis Suelter of Carver,
Minnesota offered for sale plants of
his hybrid seeding grapes obtained by
pollinating a local wild V itis riparia
with pollen of 'Concord' (1). He named
four of these: 'Beta; 'Dakota; 'Monitor;
and 'Suelter: They were all very
similar in foliage and fruit characters
and very distinctive in flavor, with
acid too high to be considered good
table grapes.
Though only four were
named, at least five were propagated
by cuttings and sold to the public.
'Beta' soon became the one most
offered by nurseries; it is still being
sold today.
Through the intervening
years, there has been much confusion
as to the specific identity of these
varieties and it is well known that at
least two distinct varieties are sold as
'Beta: Because of the confusion and
uncertainty surrounding them, they
have a certain aura of mystery and romance.
In fact both Dr.
Alderman
(2) at the University of Minnesota-and
Dr.
A. F. Yeager (3) when at North
Dakota State University doubted they
were true hybrids, since their 'Beta'
when selfed showed no reversion back
to the V. riparia and V. labrusca species
from which it was supposedly
descended.
This same pattern was experienced
by T. V. Munson (4); when
he selfed 'Herbemont; a southern V.
aestivalis hybrid which he designated
a distinct species, V. borquiniana.
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