Thomcord is a seedless table grape variety and a hybrid of the popular
Thompson Seedless or Sultanina grape (a Vitis vinifera variety) and
Concord grape (a Vitis labrusca variety). Thomcord was developed in
1983 by Californian grape breeders working for the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS), an agency of the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), as part of a test to better understand a new
seedless grape breeding procedure. Its aromatic, "labrusca" flavor is
similar to that of Concord, but mellowed by the mild, sweet taste from
Thompson Seedless. Thomcord grows well in hot, dry climates, ripens
between late July and mid-August, and is tolerant to powdery mildew. It
is a productive variety, yielding an average of 15.1 kg (33 lb) of
grapes per vine. The plant is not restricted for propagation and
distribution. Virus-free propagation material is available from the
Foundation Plant Services (FPS) at the University of California, Davis,
and its genetic material is archived at the National Plant Germplasm
System. After 17 years of testing, it was declared ready for use in
2003. It is expected to appear in supermarkets, possibly as a specialty
item.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomcord>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1080:
On the death of his brother Harald III, Canute IV, who later would be
the first Dane to be canonized, became King of Denmark.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canute_IV_of_Denmark>
1907:
Construction started on the first ship in the Minas Geraes class,
making Brazil the third country in the world to build a dreadnought
battleship and sparking a South American naval arms race.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minas_Geraes-class_battleship>
1961:
Armed Cuban exiles backed by the CIA invaded Cuba, landing in the Bay
of Pigs, with the aim of overthrowing the Cuban government under Fidel
Castro.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion>
1975:
The Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot captured Phnom Penh, ending the
Cambodian Civil War, and established Democratic Kampuchea.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_Civil_War>
1984:
British police officer Yvonne Fletcher was shot and killed while on
duty during a protest outside the Libyan embassy in London's St James's
Square, resulting in an eleven-day police siege of the building, and
causing a breakdown of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom
and Libya.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Yvonne_Fletcher>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
Paphian (adj):
Pertaining to love or sexual desire, especially when illicit
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Paphian>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Anarchists never have claimed that liberty will bring perfection;
they simply say that its results are vastly preferable to those that
follow authority.
--Benjamin Tucker
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benjamin_Tucker>
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