AND WINE MAKING. 245 



wines, the red volcanic soil, or black soil mixed with sand 

 and small stones. Such a soil will drain and work well 

 without washing, is warm, and will give wines of deep 

 color, body, and rich in tannin. Next to this would 

 come the clay, or adobe soil, for, although difficult to 

 work, and needing constant stirring in summer to keep 

 the surface mellow, it is very fertile, and will produce 

 wines of good quality in abundance, if well worked. My 

 third choice would be a stony soil, loose and friable, 

 which generally produces well also, after the vines have 

 become established. The poorest of all our hill lands is the 

 white, alkali coil, which does not seem to suit vines at all, 

 as they grow very slowly; therefore I would not have any 

 of this soil if I could help it. But, unfortunately, we 

 find more or less of it in all locations, and can hardly 

 avoid it altogether. The best we can do is, to look out 

 that there is not too much of it. In choosing a location, 

 the purchaser should also see that his soil is of sufficient 

 depth, at least two or three feet above the bed rock, so 

 that the roots of the vine can find moisture in our dry 

 summers, which they can only do when the soil is deep 

 enough. Large oaks, intermingled with mountain laurel 

 and hazel undergrowth, mixed with hillside ferns, are 

 generally indications of a soil well adapted to the grape. 

 In the valleys, guard against frosty locations, which I 

 would not have under any consideration. It is too dis- 

 couraging to see the promise of a bountiful crop swept 

 away by the frosts of a single night, and to live in con- 

 stant dread that this may happen. 



Very steep hillsides, though they may produce good 

 wines, are very difficult to cultivate, and liable to wash ; 

 they should therefore also be avoided. 



PREPARATION OF THE GROUND. 



Having first cleared the ground of all obstacles, stumps, 

 trees, stones, etc., it should bo plowed as deep as possi- 



