PARISH OF FINTRY.
* Drawn up by the late incumbent, the Rev. James Coltart.
 
PRESBYTERY OF DUMBARTON, SYNOD OF GLASGOW AND AYR.
THE REV. WILLIAM GRIERSON SMITH, MINISTER.
V.-INDUSTRY.
Agriculture and Rural Economy.- This parish contains about 12,800 imperial acres of land. Of these, about 1000 acres are arable; considerably upwards of 100 are under wood; and the rest, hill and moor pasture

Rent of Land. - The arable land low down in the valley, on the banks of the Endrick, lets at L.3 per acre. Cows are grazed on such land for L.4; on hill pasture for L.2. The rent of the whole parish is L.3822. The annual value of the real property in Fintry, as assessed in April 1815, was L. 4126.

Rate of Wages.- Labourers' wages are 1s. 8d. per day; mechanics, 3s. 6d.; tailors, 1s. 6d. with meat. Farm-servants generally live in the farmer's house; their wages are from L.10 to L. 20 per annum. Women servants have from L.6 to L.8 per annum.

Husbandry.-Oats and barley are the staple grains, though the produce is far from equalling the consumption. There may be, at an average, about 840 bolls of oats; barley, somewhat more than a third of that quantity annually. The late Mr Speirs gave his tenants good houses and farm-steadings. The Duke has begun to do so in his barony, in a very superior style. A house and farm-steading, lately erected in the upper part of the parish, cost, it is believed, nearly L.1000. New farm-houses are very much wanted.

Grazing.-Stock of sheep and cattle chiefly occupies the attention of the farmer. On this, he depends for the payment of this rent. The parish is well calculated for such kind of farm ing. It possesses very superior pasture, and is conveniently situat ed for the great cattle and sheep-markets, Falkirk, Balgair, &c. There are only twelve farmers in the whole parish, and, with the exception of two, they all, possess extensive sheep-farms. The stock of the whole parish consists of 4000 sheep, 900 cattle, and 200 milk cows. The cows are generally of the Ayrshire breed. One farmer keeps 25 cows; another 15; most of them 12. They make excellent butter and common cheese, for which they get a ready sale in the villages or towns in the neighbourhood. They rear a good many calves also. But they depend chiefly for their supply of cattle stock on the markets in the neighbourhood. In early summers, they purchase, at these markets, what stock they think will be sufficient for their summer's pasture. These, together with their winterers, (cattle laid on, in the end of the season, to consume their sprits and bog-hay, of which, in general, their farms yield a good supply,*) they take to one or other of the Falkirk harvest- trysts; and, if they succeed in securing L. 1, lOs. a piece for their summer's grass, they do not complain. It frequently happens, however, that they do not obtain nearly that sum. The cattle-market has been, for years back, quite a game of chance. Sheep are a more steady and a more sure stock. Our hills raise excellent lambs, for which a ready sale is got from the butchers in Glasgow. The wool, too, of late years, has yielded a high price; and altogether, from such stocks the farmer has a better prospect of a fair remuneration. Open drains are now cut very commonly along the sides of our hills, which have very much improved the sheep pasture, by carrying off the superfluous moisture.

* The most abundant source of meadow hay is the Carron Bog, an immense track of meadow land on the banks of the river Carron, commencing in Fintry, and thence passing into Kilsyth and St Ninians. This meadow extends in length fully three miles. and averages in breadth about 400 yards; though in some places its breadth is little short of a mile. It contains 358 acres. The hay it produces is excellent, and so abundant, that it supplies not only the farms to which it is attached, hut much of it is sold to farmers not so well supplied, at the rate of L1. 5s to L. 2 per acre; When sold in the prepared state, it brings from 4d. to 6d. per stone, according to the state of the rye-grass crop.

Manufactures. Allusion has been made to a large cotton factory in this parish. It was erected by the late Mr Speirs, upwards of forty-five years ago. It occasioned a very great change in the aspect of the parish. In some respects, it may have been an advantage to the parish. It has perhaps occasioned the improvement of our roads, and it promotes a readier sale for much of our farm produce. But it is much to be feared, it has hither-to been of no benefit to the proprietors. It is at a great distance from coals. It is eighteen miles from Glasgow; and cotton and yarn are carried, by a very hilly road, from and to it, at a very expense. It contains upwards of 20,000 spindles, and employs constantly 260 hands. The mill people of Fintry are quiet, sober, and industrious.

In the village, a distillery was erected by Messrs Cowan and Company in 1816, and is now in active operation. It distils annually 70,000 gallons of whisky, entirely from malt. This whisky is chiefly carried to Glasgow, where it commands a ready market, having long maintained a high character. There is, also, a small wool factory in the parish; but since the wool has risen to so exorbitant a price, it has scarcely been in operation.