Kent

Kent, a county occupying the south-eastern corner of England, being bounded N. by the Thames and the North Sea, E. and S.E. by the Straits of Dover, S. by the English Channel," S.W. by Sussex, and W. by Surrey. Its extreme length from Surrey to the North Foreland is 65 miles, its extreme width from Sheerness to Dungeness 35 miles, and its area 1,570 square miles. The surface is undulating, as the North Downs, a chalk range of from 3 to 6 miles in breadth, traverses the district from S.E. to N.W. Below this, towards the Sussex border, stretches the Weald, once a vast forest and still retaining much timber, but bearing good crops of cereals and roots in a marly soil. Further S. the expanse of Romney Marsh is only suitable for pasture, and supports great numbers of sheep. The whole of this tract is drained only by small streams, such as the Rother, the Eden, the Teise, the Bealt, and the Little Stour. N. and E. of the Downs, rich deposits of alluvial soil occur in the valleys of the Thames, the Medvvay, and the Swale, and their fertility has won for the neighbourhood its title of the "Garden of England." The Stour valley is also fairly productive, but the soil of the Isle of Thanet is light, and at Sandwich the chalk downs begin. Hops and fruit are largely cultivated in the central districts. Manufactures are few, cement and bricks on the Medway, and paper on that and other rivers being the chief; but ship-building is carried on at various points, and the Government works at Woolwich, Greenwich, and Chatham employ many hands. Deep-sea and shore fishing yield considerable profits; Ramsgate, Dover, and Rye, maintaining large fleets of smacks. The traffic with the Continent through Dover and Folkestone is another source of gain, and of late years Folkestone, Westgate, Hythe, and Deal, have grown into fashionable summer resorts, whilst Margate retains its old popularity. Railway communication is provided by the South-Eastern and London, .Chatham. and Dover lines with their branches. [Maidstone, Canterbury, Cinque Ports.]