"Fifty Years of Fruit Farming. 
165 
Jack and Mussel. Greengages are also much liked in East Kent, 
in the famous cherry district, but they do not thrive so well 
in other parts of this county. Damsons have been planted 
to an enormous extent, the variety known as the Crittenden 
having ousted all others. It is raised from suckers, and is a heavy 
cropper, coming to bear in four or five years. Its fruit is large 
and juicy, selling readily at high rates in most seasons. In 
1880 there was some difficulty in selling this fruit. The crop of 
damsons, as well as of all kinds of plums, was abundant in an 
extraordinary degree, so that many were left upon the trees. 
Generally, however, the demand is equal to the supply, for jam 
manufacture and various fruit preparations. These trees have 
been put with soft-fruit bushes generally, and in some cases with 
cob nuts. Occasionally they have been placed between fresh 
planted apple trees, with soft-fruit bushes as well. As the apple 
trees get large the damson trees can be gradually removed. 
Pei'haps in no part of Kent has there been such a marked 
improvement in the management of fruit land as in the fertile 
tract lying between Chatham and Canterbury, where cherries 
flourish exceedingly, as well as many other kinds of fruits. 
Orchards have been filled up judiciously, and the land well 
manured. It had been thought by previous generations of cherry 
growers that nothing was taken out of the soil by the cherry 
trees, and that it would be sufficiently recuperated for the grass 
grown upon it by feeding it off with stock sheep. Many acres 
have been planted within the last twenty years with approved 
varieties, such as the Amber, Early Purple Gean, Elton Heart, 
Waterloo, Eagle Heart, Turkey Heart, Bigarreau, Napoleon, and 
other Bigarreaus, Florence Heart, with other good kinds. 
Pears have always been largely and successfully cultivated in 
East Kent, but much change for the better has taken place 
during the past thii'ty or forty years with respect to selection of 
sorts, and a more rational treatment of the trees. On account 
of spring frosts this is a somewhat precarious crop, and it is 
singular that in the high and somewhat exposed situations 
in which East Kent pears are grown, these do not cause as 
much injury as in many other localities. Five sorts of this fruit 
are now raised, as the Pitmaston Duchess, Marie Louise, Louise 
Bonne, Beurre de Capiaumont. It may be said that this part 
of Kent is one of the chief sources of supply of pears to the 
metropolitan markets. 
The culture of greengages, which thrive well here, has also 
received careful attention. Plums of the best quality are grown, 
and soft fruits of all kinds. 
Nuts are a speciality of Kentish fruit productions. There 
