Name/Title
LetterEntry/Object ID
Q2022.21.39Scope and Content
Two documents: A letter from Dr. Konstantin Frank, Director of Research, Gold Deal Vineyards, Hammondsport, N. Y. to Wilbur P. McDonald, M. D., F.A.C.S., dated March 3, 1961. The letterhead is the Vineyard information and includes a seal in the middle of its name with the insignia 'since 1865', it is typed on embossed paper.
And a copy of the return letter from Wilbur P. McDonald, M. D. to Dr. Konstantin Frank, on onion skin paper, dated March 13, 1961.Context
Dear Doctor McDonald:
In reply to your letter, I can send you some cuttings of Pinot Chardonnay, with which we have had a big success in production in our vineyards. From this variety we have two different clons which are very resistant to freezing and have high production quality.
I studied the climate conditions of your location, St. Joseph, Missouri; and according to the Washington, D. C. publication, "Climate and Men", your absolute minimum is minus twenty-four degrees. This was extreme. I would like to now what minimum you have had and how long your very low temperatures lasted this year when your Baco 5276, Siebel 1000, 6880 and some hybrids of the Geneva Experimental Station were killed.
We had this year two long stretches of very cold weather, with one night twenty-two below zero and another at seventeen below zero. This cold weather also came while there was little snow on the ground. Notwithstanding the damage in our vineyards has been fairly limited.
Please remember that the Pinot Chardonnay I am sending you must be grafted on rootlouse resistant rootstock which does not delay the maturity of the wood and the fruit. Otherwise you will never have success with European varieties in your location.
I am very glad to be able to answer your questions and if you ever need some more consultation, I will be very glad to hep you.
Very truly yours,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Dr. Frank:
Thank you very much for your kind letter of March 3rd, and for your offer of some cuttings of Pinot Chardonnay.
I imagine the climate here is Missouri is much the same as in New York in the winter time, however the summers here can be very very dry and I feel that the summer drought probably kills more plants at times than does the winter freeze. You are correct about the absolute minimum being 24 degrees. This past winter . . . below zero for a period of 4 days. That was from the 23rd to the 27th of January; . . .
The 1959-60 winter we had a maximum of -11 which maintained a cold spell for a period of three days; . . . . .I do not know whether the low temperature or whether the dry and hot summers do more damage as I did not irrigate or water the grapes.
All of my root stock has come from New York State Fruit Testing Cooperative Association and I thought that it was root louse resistant. Am I incorrect in believing this? . . . , I do have a half dozen native grape vines on my land. These are the very small native grapes that are not suitable for anything that I know of; . . . So far I have not tried grafting on to these vines but thought possibly it might be a good idea as they seem to survive in spite of all hardships.
Are there any special tips on grafting that you can give me? I certainly have done very little and not always with success.
Sincerely,Lexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
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Dimension Notes
8.5" x 11"
