Name/Title
LetterEntry/Object ID
Q2022.21.131Scope and Content
A copy of a two-page letter, on onion skin paper, from Wilbur P. McDonald, M. D., to Dr. James A. Cook, Professor of Viticulture, Dept. of Viticulture & Enology, Davis, Calif., dated Dec. 13, 1968. The letters COPY in red ink are printed down the left hand side of the page.Context
Dear Dr. Cook:
It's wonderful to know that other people become fouled up occasionally, particularly where correspondence is concerned. Your letter dictated in October 1967, and typed in October 1968 was received ad read with pleasure. Thank you very much for completing the analysis of the grape leaf samples which I sent in July 1967. It appears that I have adequate fertilization in my vineyard, with the exception of an application of Boron about every three years, and will try to keep the Nitrogen a little lower in the future.
I continue to be enthusiastic and a bit excited about the growing of Vinifera grapes here in Missouri in the form of Ruby Cabernet. I obtained 10 graft sticks . . . . in the spring of 1967 . . . grafted onto the roots of Baco #1 . . . , however there was a heavy freeze . . . and all the leafed out grapes in the vineyard froze back. Only two grafts . . . survived, but made a very vigorous growth during the summer . . . which reached a balling of 22 before the birds finally got to them. During the winter of 67-68 the temperature got to 14° below zero and one of the two vines . . . was killed back to the graft site; . . . . The other only froze back to the lower two buds, so that two scions grew this spring. Enclosed is a picture of that vine with a yardstick in front .. for comparison. . . . .
This spring the remaining nine . . . roots were regrafted . . . and again two grafts survived. The more vigorous one is shown in the picture . . . . This shows a remarkable growth, . . . for the first year graft in Missouri. I have never made any other grafts that showed so much vigor. Now I have three Ruby Cabernet grafts on Baco #1 root stock and I am going to try and get them through the winter by placing a plastic sleeve over them, possibly this may help them to survive.
The other slide shows my efforts to foil the birds. As I only have a small vineyard and try to grow ten vines of each variety of grapes . . . . . , when the grapes reach 12% sugar, then the birds start in. This year I obtained some erosion net . . . Two 48 inch sections were tied together . . . and placed over the trellis . . . This worked very well, but would be rather expensive on a large scale. For the first time in a number of years I had mature grapes to make varietal batches of wine without the addition of sugar. . . . . . Dupont produces a polyester netting as a sleeve to encompass Christmas trees with about a two inch mesh, but it does not have the width . . . , and comes in tubes or sleeves. It also will deteriorate in . . . two or thee years due to the sun. If you have any ideas on the subject of bird control, Iam very receptive.
Please don't forget me when the T8-43 is released, as I would like to try to grow it in Northwest Missouri.
Sincerely,Lexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
LetterNomenclature Primary Object Term
CorrespondenceNomenclature Sub-Class
Other DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsDimensions
Dimension Notes
8.5" x 11"
