Agriculture.-The whole rural portion of the parish may be said to be either actually cultivated, or occasionally tinder the plough. The Cow-parks, extending to 50 or 60 acres, and a portion of the Constabulary farm, to about 23 acres, are kept in grass; but these are rather suburban than rural. There are trees scattered, and in a few instances covering the ground continuously in groves or rows, in different parts of the parish; chiefly in the outskirts of the town. Of these the indigenous are chiefly alders, birches, and oaks; the planted, many of which are magnificent and lofty, are chiefly elm, beech, ash, plane, and oak trees.

The rent of land has been gradually rising during the last seventeen years. This is ascribed by the very intelligent and talented agriculturist* from whom 1 have received my information, to the in-creased confidence with which the tenant may look for a fair average crop, in consequence of tile introduction of tile-draining and other late improvements. The rent of carse land of good quality is from L.3, 15s. to L. 4 per acre; that of dry-field land from L. 1, 15s. to L. 2 per acre. In the Cow-parks of Stirling cows are admitted to pasture about Whitsunday, and leave about Martinmas; for which the rent in the lower one to the north of the town is L. 4, 4s., and in the upper one near the King's Park, L. 4. In the King's Park the rent is L.3, 5s. per acre.

* Mr James Carmichael, who, along with his brother, has very lately taken 8 new lease of their farm of Raploch

Wages.-The wages of carpenters throughout the year, are 2s. 6d. per day; those of masons 3s. per day in summer, and 2s. 6d. in winter. The wages of farm-servants are L. 9 to L. 15 per annum for men, and L 4 to L. 7 for women; of day labourers about 95. per week; in harvest l0s. to 15s. per week for men, and 9s. to 12s. for women, without victuals. In respect of the price of raw produce, &c. required for rural and domestic economy; the breeds and improvement of sheep and cattle; and the nature and duration of leases; the landward part of this parish is precisely in the circumstances of the immediately adjoining portions of the parishes of St Ninians, Logie, Lecropt and Kincardine. With the exception of the Constabulary farm, -which extends to 348 acres, the farms are very small; only two exceeding 100 acres. The dwelling-houses are suitable to the size of the farms; and, along with the other buildings, are in pretty good repair; and seem for the most part to be attended to, when they stand in need of renovation or improvement. On the Carse lands, which constitute a very large proportion of the whole in cultivation, the crops chiefly depended upon for remunerating the tenant are of course wheat, beans, and barley; on the dry field lands, oats and barley; with a proportion in each of turnips, hay, and grass, for preserving the suitable rotation of crops, feeding and rearing sheep and cattle, and maintaining the necessary complement of horses for labour. Draining, liming, manuring, excellent ploughing, fencing, and all other arts of husbandry adapted to the soil and climate, are practised; and have kept pace with those, which characterize the system of agriculture in the best farmed districts in this part of Scotland.

Quarries and Mines.- There are 110 mines in the parish. Under every part of the town, at a greater or smaller depth, is found the greenstone, on which the superstratum of soil rests; and, in many places where the foundations of houses are being dug out, cr improvements are being made on the streets, and lines of communication from one part of the town to another, affords excellent materials for building, causewaying, and road-making.

Salmon Fishery.-The salmon fisheries belonging to the place are carried on up and down the Forth, and even in the Teith; and extend somewhat beyond the boundaries of the parish. There is nothing peculiar in the manner in which they are kept up, or in the mode of fishing practised, which is by boats and ordinary drag-nets. The rents amounted for the year 1840, to L. 766.

Average amount of raw produce raised in the parish as nearly as can be ascertained, viz:

	L.
Produce of grain of all kinds, whether raised for the food of man, or of domestic animals, about 2345 quarters imperial measure, which,
at an average of fiars prices, amounts in value to - -	3878 0
Hay, 24060 stones at 6d. per stone, - - -	601 10
Of potatoes, turnips, &c. cannot be ascertained.
Of lands in pasture.
Of gardens and orchards. *
Of crops cultivated fur the arts.
Of thinnings of woods, &c.
Of fisheries,	766 0
Of quarries and mines.
Total yearly value of all that can be ascertained	5245 10

* Of these there are seven in the parish; besides gardens without orchards attached to them; but, owing to the extreme precariousness of the crops, especially of fruit, for some years, and changes in the occupation in some cases, it has been found impracticable to give any return.

Manufactures and Trade.-A carefully prepared official report was drawn up in 1832, for the information of Government, respect mg the town and suburbs of Stirling; from which the following particulars relating to those two branches are extracted

The following manufactures are carried on, amounting, as nearly as can be estimated, for the year 1831, to the extent attached to each of them per annum

	L
Tartans and tartan shawls.	90,000
Carpets, common, superfine, and Brussels, - - -	23,000
This is, however, considerably below an average year.
Yarns, - - - - -	9,000
Leather (tanners, curriers., and skinners),	24,000
Cotton goods	10,000
Soap and candles,	20,000
Malt, about 13,000 quarters per annum, worth at least	40,000
Flour merchants and bakers,	25,000
Coachmakers and rope. manufacturers,	6,000

The trade and commerce of Stirling may be classed and estimated as follows:

	L
Foreign and home timber,	20,000
Grain sold in the market, about 42,000 bolls per annum.	40,000
Grain imported by dealers at Stirling shore last year, 80,000 bolls.	81,000
The importation averaging the last seven years has been 52,000 bols.
Teas, wines, spirits, and groceries,	63,000
Hardware, iron, and nail,, made for exportation,	17,000
Woollen cloth, silks, and haberdashery	65,000
Tallow, oil, and Flax,	5,000
General merchandise, at a moderate estimate,	50,000
Trade in bricks, tiles, lime-burning, and coals, at least	15,000
Dyeing, (yarns, home-made woollen cloth, silks, &c.)	16,000
Wool exported to England, per average of last seven years, 25,000 stones.

No estimate is here made of the business done in the numerous markets for horses, &c.; or by the steam-boats, the gas company, brewers, innkeepers, builders, joiners, plumbers, and other mechanics.

Since 1832, the woollen manufacture has more than doubled. That of cotton has fallen off, and is now inconsiderable. Coach-building has much increased. There are three mills for spinning wool. In these, there are 1 40 hands employed. They work six days of the week; during five of which, they work eleven hours, and on Saturday nine. There are not less than 280 looms employed by Stirling manufacturers in the weaving of wool into tartan pieces, shawls, &c. there being now little carpet weaving. They give employment to about 650 weavers, winders, &c. The days and hours of work with weavers are six days in the week, and fourteen hours in the day. There are employed in dyeing about 28; in tanning and skinning about 12 persons ; in coach-making, about 100 ; and in ropemaking, 20. In the four last-named, the hours of working are ten in the day. There may be ninety of the hands employed in connection with the weaving of woollen goods, residing beyond the parish. Hut, on the other hand, one or two manufacturers residing out of the parish, employ weavers in it; which, along with the few looms employed here by cotton-manufacturers in Glasgow, will, it is estimated, fully compensate for that circumstance. So that the whole number of persons within the parish employed in all the branches of manufacture carried on in Stirling, may be about 949. In all these branches, there is a fair remuneration to those engaged in them. The occupation of wool-spinning has an excellent effect on health; and the regular employment, and the attention paid by the masters, appear to have a good effect on the morals of those employed.

The occupation of weaving, when continued during So large a portion of the day, can scarcely be considered beneficial to health. It cannot be said, however, that, either in health or in moral character, there is any perceptibly injurious effect produced by the manufactures of Stirling.

Navigation.-The port of Stirling is the only one in the parish; and the Forth the only navigable river. There are belonging to the port of Stirling twenty-two vessels, of from 50 to 350 tons burden; two of them brigs engaged in foreign trade; the others schooners, smacks, &c. trading up and down the Frith, or to ports in the united kingdom. Besides these, there are belonging to the port, three steamers for passengers, of the Stirling and Alloa Company ; and one or two luggage steamers. A passenger steamer, belonging to a Glasgow company, also occasionally plies between Stirling and the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, calling, as do the others, at the intermediate ports. Three schooners, bringing timber from Norway, regularly visit the port; and occasionally one from Holland, with bark. The navigation of the Forth is much impeded by shallows, which prevent vessels of heavy burden from reaching the port, and often greatly retard those which are able to reach it. A plan has been lately submitted to the magistrates and Council for deepening the river. The expense would be great; and it may, perhaps, be impracticable to obtain the necessary funds, without the aid of Government. It would, however, not only be of great and lasting advantage to Stirling, by raising its port to a higher position ; but would be an improvement felt throughout a large and important district; and would, in so far, prove a national benefit.