GRAPE REGIONS AND THEIR DETERMINANTS 27 



Air currents. 



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Currents of air are of but local importance in growing tree- 

 fruits, but are of general and vital importance in growing the 

 grape. The direction, force and frequency of prevailing winds 

 are often controlling factors in the suppression of fungous dis- 

 eases of the grape, and the presence of fungi often means suc- 

 cess or failure in regions in which the grape is planted. 

 Winds are beneficial, too, when they bring warm air or dry 

 air, and when they keep frosty air in motion. The air must 

 move in all grape regions, whether from canon, mountain, 

 lake or sea. Sunlight, warmth, and air in motion are life to 

 the grape. Sometimes winds may be detrimental ; as when 

 too cold, too blustering, or when they bring hail, the latter 

 being about the most disastrous of all natural calamities. 

 Windbreaks are of small value and are often worse than use- 

 less. Having planted his vineyard, the grape-grower must 

 take the winds as they blow. 



Soils for grapes 



A prime requisite for a vineyard being earth in which vines 

 will grow, successful grape-growing is eminently dependent on 

 the selection of soil. Many mistakes are made in the great 

 grape regions in planting on unsuitable soils, the planter going 

 on the assumption that any soil in a grape region should be good 

 enough for the grape. But the crust of the earth in grape 

 regions is not all grape soil. In New York, for example, much 

 of the land in the three grape regions is better fitted for pro- 

 ducing crops for the mason or road-mender than for the grape- 

 grower. Other soils in these regions are fit for vineyards only 

 when tiled, and tiling does not make all wet land fit for tilling. 

 Heavy, clammy clays, light sands, soils parched with thirst, thin 

 or hungry soils on all of these the grower may plant but 

 will seldom harvest. 



