Origin: in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, by W. Backus. Introd. in 1930 by E.D. Smith & Sons, Winona, Ontario. Trademarked by this company; when nursery department discontinued, assigned rights in the Canadian trademark to C.H. Prudhomme & Sons, Nurserymen, Beamsville, Ontario, Sept. 1947. Parentage unknown; chance seedling; discovered about 1915. Cluster: large; compact; often shouldered. Berry: skin black, tough; quality fair to poor; good shipping qualities; matures early, about Fredonia season at St. Catharines; resembles Concord. Tree: Fruit: