110 
Fruit-growing in Kent. 
has certainly always been famous for cherries, and nothing can 
be more beautiful than a cherry-orchard in full blossom, with 
the masses of white clusters covering the trees, which look from 
a distance as if wreathed with snow. Cherrv-trees invariably 
have a great wealth of blossoms, which are exposed to the pro- 
verbial changes and chances of the fickle spring season. They 
come into blossom in Kent about the same time as the blackthorn 
— from the 6th to the 25th of April — and they require suitable 
weather at the time of fecundation ; neither too dry nor too wet, 
nor too much sun. " A cold blow suits cherry bloom," say the 
rustics, and this coincides with experience, and the physiology 
of the process of fecundation. " Moisture," writes a friend, " is 
absolutely necessary for the prolongation of the pollen tube. If 
the sun is too powerful, the stigma of the pistil is apt to become 
scorched, and the natural moisture being lost, the pollen tube is 
undeveloped ; on the other hand, should the pollen grain be 
exposed to wet from rain just as it becomes ripe, and before it 
reaches the stigma, the pollen tube will be developed in a situation 
where it can never reach its natural destination in the embryo 
sac." To illustrate this : the cherry-trees were in full blossom 
about the 10th of April, in 1876, when the weather was very 
wet, with heavy rain and snow-showers : the crop of cherries 
was very short indeed. In the previous year the blossoms were 
in full beauty about the 22nd of April ; though the weather was 
cold, it was dry, and a very large crop of cherries was grown. 
Cherries are grown upon grass-land, principally in the eastern 
part of the county between Chatham and Canterbury. There 
are a few orchards near Maidstone, but they are becoming few 
and far between. The trees are planted at first upon cultivated 
ground, having between them hops, fruit-bushes, or plums, which 
are taken out after a few years, and grass-seeds sown. The 
cherry-trees are set at a distance of 27 feet to 33 feet apart, 
which would give from 40 to 60 trees per acre. In some 
cases the landlord finds the standard trees, and the tenant pays 
for the labour and finds the bushes, which soon come into bearing. 
The rent of cherry-orchards is about 8/. per acre upon an 
average. Good managers never mow grass under cherry-trees, 
but feed it with fatting sheep, and manure it with twenty to thirty 
loads of London dung per acre. Cherries are " worked " on the 
" Gaskin " or wild cherry stock, which is found in abundance in 
the woods. This wood is harder than that of the " Honey Red," 
and not so liable to gum. Pruning is done tenderly and care- 
fully for the first two or three years, after that very little is 
requisite. A large grower writes, " I am very reluctant to prune 
cherry-trees after the first year or two." 
The chief sorts cultivated are the Adams' Crown Heart, the 
