KENT. This fruitful county is well cir cumstanced in respect both to commerce and its productions. It has a most abundant steam traffic from Dover, Deal, Ramsgate, Margate, Herne Bay, Sheerness, Gravesend, Greenhithe, Erith, Woolwich, Charlton, and Greenwich, to London ; from Rochester to Sheerness ; from Ramsgate and Dover to Ostend; from Dover to Calais and Boulogne ; and from Folkestone to Boulogne. The whole of the railways of the county belong to one company—the South-Eastern. They comprise lines from Red Hill to Ashford ; Ashford to Hastings ; Ashford to Dover ; Ashford to Canterbury ; Canterbury to Ramsgate and Margate; Canterbury to Whitstable; Minster to Deal; Paddock Wood to Maidstone ; Tun bridge to Tunbridge Wells (now being ex tended to Hastings); the Greenwich and Bricklayers' Arms' Branches ; and the North Kent line (London to the Medway).
Kent produces several crops which are pecu liar to it, such as canary and radish seed. Other seeds are likewise raised for the London seedsmen, such as spinach, cresses, and white mustard. Kidney beans are cultivated to a con siderable amount in the neighbourhood of Sandwich, and produce from ten to twenty bushels per acre. Woad and madder were formerly much cultivated. The marshes pro duce most of the hay consumed in winter. llcurincy Marsh, which is well known for the tidiness of its grass, contains about 44,000 acres; on the borders of the Stour are 27,000; and along the Medway, Thames, and Swale, about 11,500 more. A great many sheep are reared and fattened in these marshes. Hops are grown to a very great extent in this county, and, with the exception of those which are raised at Farnham in Surrey, are the most esteemed of any in England. Near London there are many extensive gardens; and about Deptford hundreds of acres are laid out in asparagus beds. Great quantities of peas are also raised for the London market on the line of road from London to Rochester. Apples, pears, plums, and cherries are raised in orchards, and the produce sent to London markets. The cultivation of filberts is pecu liar to Kent, and well managed, especially in the beigbbourhood of Maidstone. The Kent ish woods are diminishing every year; and the produce of bark and timber is much re duced from what it formerly was.
Ashford is becoming an important town in this county, on account of it being the depot of the South-Eastern Company. CHATHAM, DARTFORD, and DOVER are briefly alluded to elsewhere. Folkestone harbour, owing to the accumulation of shingle, is not capable of affording anchorage to many vessels, but has been considerably improved by the engineers of the South-Eastern Railway Company, who purchased it when they extended the line of railway from Folkestone to Dover. Steam packets ply between Folkestone and the oppo site ports of France ; and the town is acquiring commercial importance. Gravesend and Green wich are both important for their steamboat traffic. Maidstone, the assize-town of the county, is situated on a declivity on the west bank of the Medway. A lock has been made at AUington, about a mile below Maidstone, to improve the navigation of the river, previ ous to the formation of which the tide ascended to Maidstone. There is much traffic on the river, in coals, timber, iron, groceries, &T., upwards, and in Kentish ragstone, paper, hops, fruit, &e., downwards. Margate and Ramsgate have much active commerce arising out of their pleasure-traffic. Jiilton has considerable trade, arising from its oyster fishery, and from its being the port of communication with London for the surrounding agricultural dis trict. At Sheerness the dockyard is sufficiently capacious to receive ships of war of the largest size. There are large storehouses, a mast house, rigging-house, sail-loft, &c. At Tun bridge Wells there aro considerable manufac tures in turned wood. At Whitstable the in habitants are engaged in the oyster fishery. Woolwich derives its main importance from its dockyard, from the government foundry for cannon having been established there, and from its having been made a great depot for naval and military stores. The Royal Dock yard contains two large dry docks, a basin 400 feet by 300 feet, capable of receiving the largest vessels, together with extensive store houses, mast-houses, &c. The foundry for cannon forms one of the principal departments of the Royal Arsenal. In the Rope-yard, at the east end. of the town, cables of the largest size are made.