LOCATION AND SOIL. 15 



A due eastern exposure is less favorable, since it 

 loses the sun too early ; it is ever exposed to eastern 

 winds, and is sensitive to frosts, even of tlie lighter 

 sorts, because it receives the rajs of the sun so very 

 early and direct, as to subject such locations to injury 

 from freezing nearly every year. 



Still worse is a western exposure, because it receives 

 the sun till very late, and hence suffers from the 

 chilly evening dews, which in this country are, com- 

 paratively speaking, far colder than in Europe. Such 

 an exposure must necessarily suffer from west winds, 

 and is also more liable to be injured by hail. 



Hills and hillocks are far better for wine-culture 

 than plains, which latter may produce greater quanti- 

 ties of wine, but it is invariably of a poorer quality. 

 Plains or hills whose soil, either on the surface or as a 

 substratum, has yellow or blue clay soil, are not favor- 

 able for vineyards, because upon such soils neither the 

 atmosphere, nor the sun, rain or dew, can operate as 

 they should, and hence there is danger that the vine 

 will be affected with the wet-rot. The sun's rays hardly 

 ever strike vines upon plains in the proper direction, 

 so as to afford the required warmth, and the wood and 

 the grapes are apt not to get the proper ripening ; such 

 localities are also far more subject to winter and spring 

 frosts, and to mildew. And, in addition, they must 

 necessarily suffer more from destructive insects, snails, 

 1^ 



