Agriculture.-From the description given of the lands of Alva, it will be seen that they naturally divide themselves into arable and pasture grounds. The arable soil of this parish may be distinguished into four kinds. That which extends southward from the bottom of the hills, consists of a rich hazel mould, intermixed with gravel and small stones. This is succeeded by ah stratum of moss over a bed of clay, and extending from 50 to 100 yards in breadth, and in some places this moss is found 1 feet deep. Next to this is a strong clay, h extending a considerable way towards the Devon. Then follows what is called haughing ground, such as is usually found on the banks of rivers, and the inundations of the Devon, which occur twice or thrice a-year, leave great quantities of sand behind. The soil at the river's bed appears to be in many places more than 20 feet deep. The grounds produce the usual crops of wheat, barley, pease, beans, oats, clove; potatoes, and turnip. The whole arable land has been long enclosed with hedges and ditches, which are kept in a very superior taste and style. Those fields which lie immediately below the house of Alva, at the bottom of the Woodhill, were enclosed and planted more than a century ago, and were among the first enclosures in this part or the country.

Till within the last forty years, the state of agriculture in this parish was miserable. The practice, however, of fallowing, liming, and cleaning the lands to obtain good returns-the advantage of having broad clover for summer food for horses, and being able to work them constantly, instead of sending them to graze for five months among the hills at much, expense,-are now understood and acted on. Experience has proved the soil to be good, and when properly cultivated, capable of great improvement, and of producing wheat and all the strongest grain.

The improvement of the land was long kept hack here, as elsewhere, by the farms remaining limited to a very few acres, and also by the farmers being bound by their leases to drive coals from the pits on the south bank of Devon to the shore of Alloa Lord Alva at length prohibited this absurd and unprofitable practice, and the farmers have been since enabled to turn more decided attention to the improvements of husbandry. Since 1796, the extent of the farms has been enlarged with great advantage to the landlord, and greater respectability to the tenant. Formerly,' the farms were limited to 30 and not more than 70 acres, now they run from 100 to 200 acres each.

The number of acres, Scotch measure, in arable and other tillage is 830.

Of land never cultivated, but applied to sheep pasture, upwards of 2000 acres.

Of cultivated land lying in pasture, and let to grazing 120 acres.

And of ground under wood there are 188 acres

Rent of Land-The average rent of land let to farmers is from L. 2, 10s. to L.3, 3s. per acre,-for oxen and milk cows grazing, about L. 4 per acre. The grazing of sheep is rated about 4s. 6d. each, or L.4, 10s. per score. The common breed of sheep here is the black-faced kind, and of cattle, the Ayrshire and the short-horned, or a cross betwixt these.

Wages.-The rate of farm-servants' wages, who work as labourers, is from 8s. to 9s. per week; and a ploughman receives L. 25 per annum, including all provisions.

Produce.-The average produce of grain of all kinds raised in this parish, is 3060 bolls,-of potatoes, turnips, cabbages, &c. the average gross amount is valued at L. 1020,- of hay cultivated, at L. 275. About one acre is annually planted with woad for dyeing. woollens blue, and is said to bring L. 20 per acre, but it greatly impoverishes the land. The annual thinning and periodical felling of woods, plantations, and copse, yields about L. 160.

The three Alva hills have been divided into two separate farms for sheep,-one comprehending the Westhill, the other the Middle-hill, together with part of the Woodhill. The former is capable of maintaining 70 score of sheep, and the latter will maintain from 60 to 65 score. On the higher and back-lying ground, the soil is mossy, and produces abundance of heath, together with a strong and coarse grass. This, however, is resorted to by the older part of the flocks, and the shepherds keep them there for the purpose of preserving the fore-ground against the winter season. It is now the practice with the sheep-farmers to breed a few young sheep; but these bear no proportion to the number of the stock. They have always a proportion of ewes on their farms, and the lambs are chiefly sold to the butcher. The farmers go every year about Midsummer to Linten markets, and purchase sheep of a year old, which, according to the custom of the sheep-farmers in the south, are smeared with tar, and after being shorn twice white, as they express it, are sold in August and September to the butcher. Snow seldom covers these pasture-hills longer than a few days together, and even then the sheep browse on the young furze and thrive well. The hills and plantations afford excellent shelter to the flocks, which have never greatly suffered, compared with those in other places from heavy snow storms.

Manufactures.- Perhaps the most important feature of this parish, is the state of its woollen manufactures. For upwards of a century and a-half, these have been carried on in the village of Alva. In the early history of the district, the staple trade consisted chiefly of serges. There is no doubt that this species of manufacture also flourished long ago in the neighbouring village of Tillicoultry;- and to this day it is known among the shopkeepers of the Lawnmarket of Edinburgh by the name of Tillicoultry serges. These were soon superseded by the more useful article of plaidings and blanketings, which became the principal commodity after the first woollen factory was built, in the year 1798 Since 1826, however, tartan shawls have been introduced, and become the most general article manufactured. In 1832, chequered cassimeres began to be made, and they now form a considerable branch of business. These manufactures find a market in Stirling, Perth, Edinburgh, but especially in' Glasgow. There are eight woollen mills, whose annual consumpt is nut less than 480,000 lbs. of wool. The manufactures make use chiefly of English wool, from the sheep that pasture on the Cheviots, which costs from 1s. to 1s. 6d. per pound.

The number of persons employed is as follows: In the factories, 149 men, 50 women, 81 children; in the village 89 men, 175 women, 21 children, making the total number employed in these woollen manufactures 565 individuals. The total number of looms is as follows: looms in the factories, 90; looms in the village 80; total 170. or these, about 100 are employed in weaving soft tartan shawls-40 at blankets and plaidings-24 at chequered cassimeres-and 6 at carpetings. The wages of weavers may average about 15L per week, and superior workmen can earn from ~ I, to L. 1, 4s. The ordinary hours of labour are from 6 o'clock A. M. to 7 o'clock P. M., except on Saturday, when labour is given up at 5 P. M., and from this stated time one hour is allowed for breakfast, and one for dinner. The working classes here are exceedingly healthy, and the children particularly exhibit remarkable vivacity of mind, and vigour of body.