CHERRY. 79 



called after him Knight's early Black cherry, and which 

 seems to possess a very desirable property, that of ripen- 

 ing its fruit considerably earlier than the May-duke ; it is 

 of a fine dark hue, and its flesh is firm and juicy. It 

 blossoms much earlier than any other sort. 



There is an account of a cherry-orchard of thirty-two 

 acres in Kent, which, in the year 1540, produced fruit 

 that sold in those early days for 1000/., which seems an 

 enormous sum, as at that period good land is stated to 

 have let at one shilling per acre. We can only reconcile 

 our minds to this great price, from the deficiency of other 

 fruits in this country, and the splendour in which Henry 

 the VHIth and his ministers lived. Evelyn tells us, that 

 in his time, an acre planted with cherries 100 miles from 

 London, had been let at 10/. 



Fruit orchards are still considered the most valuable 

 estates in Kent ; and we learn from Boys's Kent, that 

 cherry-gardens, while in full bearing, pay better than or- 

 chards ; but the cherry-tree does not generally continue 

 more than thirty years in perfection. Mr. Randall says, 

 he has known a single cherry-tree produce fruit that he 

 has sold for above five pounds per annum, for seven years 

 in succession. 



Gerard says, " the Luke Warde's cherrie is so called, 

 because he was the first that brought the same out of 

 Italy. Another we have called the Naples' cherrie, because 

 it was first brought into these parts from Naples : the 

 fruit is verie great, sharpe pointed, somewhat like a 

 man's heart in shape, of a pleasant taste, and of a deepe 

 blackish colour when it is ripe." This author mentions 

 the Spanish and the Gascoigne cherry, &c. and says, 

 " there are many other sorts in our London gardens." 



The cherry seems to have been a fruit highly esteemed 

 by the court in the time of Charles the First, as we find, 

 by the survey and valuation of the manor and mansion 



