New YorkK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 493 
Water.— Not only must the total annual rainfall be con- 
sidered but also its distribution throughout the season. The 
smallest quantity required for a good vine growth produces 
the best crops, freest from diseases. An excessive rainfall dur- 
ing the growing and maturing season favors the growth of 
fungi, checks and weakens root development while at the same 
time it induces too great a growth of vine and when coming at 
blooming time hinders the proper setting of fruit. A com- 
paratively dry soil favors a larger root growth which is better 
able to stand drouth, and is less favorable to fungus diseases, 
but more favorable to the phyloxera. Species and varieties 
differ as to their ability to withstand an excess of moisture. 
Air currents Air currents and air drainage are of most 
importance in the control or suppression of fungi. In regions 
having good air drainage the dreaded black-rot and mildew are 
less destructive. When the temperature is near the freezing 
point, winds or air drainage often keep the air in motion and 
prevent frosts. On the contrary, winds, when dry, strong or 
cold, unless modified by windbreaks or physical features may 
prove to be detrimental in their effects upon vineyards. 
‘The soil.— Fertility, the physical characters and conditions 
and soil heat are important factors in determining the suita- 
bility of a soil for grape-growing. 
Great natural fertility is unnecessary. Soils too rich pro- 
duce an overdevelopment of the vine at the expense of hardi- 
ness and fruitfulness.. Some species grow naturally upon poor 
light soils. Fertilizers, and especially cover crops and stable 
manure, can be used to supply very largely a natural lack of 
fertility. 
The grape is influenced more by the physical character of 
the soil than by fertility. The two distinct types of soils in 
agricultural regions are sand and clay; the soil takes the char- 
acters of the one which predominates. These two types pro- 
duce a similar growth of vine, but have a different influence 
upon the quantity and quality of the fruit. As compared with 
the sandy soil, the clay is more compact, more retentive of 
