276 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and very much retard the ripening. That is to be avoided. 

 The tops of hills are also to be avoided ; because they are of 

 lower temperature, — they are further north. The very best 

 place is on a southern slope, about two-thirds of the way up, 

 situated on some high ground, but still sheltered by the tops 

 of the hills. That seems to me to be the most favorable lo- 

 cation we can get. The grape is a plant that likes heat above 

 all things. It does not care for much moisture, but it wants 

 plenty of heat and sunlight. 



Then, in the choice of soil, the same thing is to be consid- 

 ered. We want to get as far south as we can in that respect. 

 Hence, we do not want a strong, clayey, deep loam ; we 

 want something that is a little lighter, and that is warm. 

 We want a soil that will take and retain the rays of the sun 

 as much and as long as possible. We want to raise the tem- 

 perature of our climate as much as we can. Hence we would 

 choose a piece of light soil. But there comes in this objec- 

 tion : a very light soil will not produce the finest grapes for 

 market, although they may ripen them earlier than stronger 

 soil. We are aiming at the very finest results. WJbat I 

 mean by success is, that we shall get a first-class product, 

 that shall bring the highest price, or give the most satisfac- 

 tion if we eat it ourselves. If we go further north, then we 

 must choose a lighter soil and thus give increased heat and 

 shorten the time of ripening. If we go further south, we 

 may choose a stronger soil as the season is longer. The fur- 

 ther north we get, the lighter the soil must be on account 

 entirely of this matter of heat. But right here I should 

 choose neither the strono;est nor the lio^htest soil. I should 

 prefer a moderately strong, friable loam, if I could get it, on 

 gravelly bottom ; but such lands are very uncommon. We 

 want land that is naturally drained, because a piece of land 

 naturally drained is drier and better than a piece of land that 

 has to be artificially drained, the soil being of the same qual- 

 ity. If it is not of the requisite character, so fiir as drainage 

 is concerned, it must be artificially drained. But I have no 

 time to speak of the mode of draining, or anything of that 

 kind. 



Having selected our location and our soil, Ave are next to 

 consider what is to be done towards preparing the land and 



