IV. INDUSTRY.

Manufactures.-Hand-loom weaving is the chief branch of manufacture carried on in the parish. The principal kinds of work done, are harness-shawls, plain-middles, and mousselin-de-laine. The work is got from Kilmarnock and Paisley. There are in the village between 40 and 50 families depending on the weaving, 94 weavers, between 50 and 60 pirn-winders, 40 draw-boys. The wages of the first-class, 13s., deduct expenses, 4s., neat wages, 9s.; second-class, 7s., deduct expenses, 1s. 6d., neat wages, 5s. 6d. Draw-boys receive from 2s. to 2s. 8d. per week; pirn-winders, 4d. to 8d. per day. We understand that the making of shoes for the foreign markets constituted at one time a very considerable branch of trade carried on here, but of late, from various causes, it has greatly declined, so that there is not above a dozen now employed in it in all the parish.

A great proportion of the females in the parish are employed in sewing and embroidering muslin. Their wages vary from 9d. to 3s. 6d. per week; but this latter sum can only be earned at the best work, and by the most expert sewers, and at much expense of comfort to themselves. The employment, we believe, is very injurious to the general health of those employed, but especially to their chest and eyes.

Agriculture. The parish contains about 18,000 acres, '500 of which are under wood, about 700 still in moss; which last, however, are yearly diminishing, as the different proprietors and farmers connected with them are yearly making inroads upon them with tile-draining and the plough-share. The rest is under cultivation. The rent of land varies from L. The grazing of a cow or ox, L. 4. in the parish, excepting a few in the parks ing the different mansions of proprietors. of the true Ayrshire breed, and the horses mostly of the Clydesdale variety.

acre.

1,

10s. to L. 3, 10s. per No sheep are grazed immediately surroundThe cows are chiefly used for labour are all

Rate of Wages.-Farm-servants' wages yearly are from L. 12 to L. 16, with food; women's, from L. 7 to L. 10; labourers in summer receive 12s.; in winter, 10s.

Dairy. This is much attended to, and from its produce the greater part of the rent in many cases is paid. Above 160 tons of cheese are produced annually. Other parishes may be better known for their dairy produce than this, but there are several individuals in the parish whose cheese, with the other productions

of their dairy, can bear comparison with any in the county. To the making of cheese the utmost attention seems to be paid, both as it regards the mode of its manufacture and the materials of which it is made. Cheese of the best quality is selling at present about 12s. per stone, Dutch weight. The price is regarded as high.

Husbandry.-Very great improvements are every year making in this province of industry, both from tile-draining, ditching, liming, enclosing, &c. and should they continue to go forward for a series of years, the beneficial results both to landlord and tenant will be very considerable; for while they will secure higher rents to the former, they will enable the latter, with much less difficulty and risk, from the improved quality of the crops and their greater certainty, notwithstanding the variableness of climate and other uncontrollable contingencies, to pay them. By the furrow-draining, which is decidedly the greatest improvement, the land may be said to increase in value fully at an average about L. 1 per acre, of annual rental. The value of this improvement depends in individual cases upon several circumstances, such as the nature of the ground drained, the width between the drains, the size of the tiles used, &c. However, almost in every case, the improvement is more or less felt. The amount of land drained in the parish annually, is upwards of 200 acres. The cost of draining an acre is about L. 6. If the proprietor does the whole, which sometimes happens, then the tenant pays in consideration 5s. per acre additional rent during his lease. This latter practice is not frequent with the landholders in this part, except with the Duke of Portland, who drains the most extensively; but it is thought by men of much experience that they overlook their own interest in not adopting it.

The crops raised are oats, wheat, barley, potatoes, turnips. The usual rotation is, two or three years tillage, one hay, and five pasture. This order, however, is sometimes deviated from, according to the nature of the soil, &c.

The rental of the parish is supposed to amount to between L. 9000 and L. 10,000 annually, and the gross rental arising from lands, coal and tile-works, may be stated at about L. 15,000. The average size of farms is eighty acres. The enclosures in the parish are good, formed almost solely of hedge-rows, and these very thriving. The farm-steadings on most of the properties are in good condition; many of them have double storied dwellinghouses, with extensive and substantial offices. The houses are chiefly thatched, but the larger and newer ones are almost all slated.

V.-PAROCHIAL ECONOMY.

The nearest town is Kilmarnock, which is distant only one mile from the village.

Villages. Riccarton village contains nearly 1200 inhabitants. There are two other villages in the parish, viz. Hurlford and Sornhill. In the former, there is a population betwixt 300 and 400 chiefly connected with different coal-works in the neighbourhood; and in the latter and its neighbourhood, which is above six miles from Riccarton, the population is nearly 100.

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Means of Communication, &c.-There are two post deliveries from Kilmarnock daily. There are three great lines of highway traversing the parish,-one from London to Glasgow,—another from Glasgow to Ayr and Portpatrick, which passes through the village, and a third from Ayr to Edinburgh, which passes through the villages of Riccarton and Hurlford. These are kept in excellent order. The parish roads are likewise in tolerably good repair. Three stage-coaches, besides the Portpatrick mail, pass through the village from Glasgow to Ayr, and return daily. There is besides a coach which runs through the parish, and returns every day from Edinburgh and Ayr; one which runs from Glasgow to Dumfries; and a public omnibus betwixt Kilmarnock and Ayr. A private branch railway passes from the great coal-works at Caprington to the Kilmarnock and Troon railway. The great

Western Railway between London and Glasgow, now in contemplation, is expected to cross the parish towards its eastern extremity on the line to Kilmarnock. Should it be carried into execution, the advantage to the parish will be incalculable.

Bridges. There are three principal bridges all over the Irvine, two at the village of Riccarton, and the other at Hurlford. One of those at Riccarton has been but lately built and only opened last Whitsunday. It is very handsome and substantial. It has three skewed arches, thus forming the largest bridge of the kind in this county, if not in Scotland. The bridge itself, with the new line of road connected with it, forms a most convenient and beautiful outlet from Kilmarnock, as well as a decided improvement to the village. The old bridge, which stands about thirty yards up from the new one, is in good condition. The other bridge is at Hurlford. It lately underwent very extensive alterations and repairs, which have rendered it very spacious and substantial. The smaller bridges in the parish are all in good order.

Ecclesiastical State.--The parish originally was a chaplaincy be

longing to Dundonald. Afterwards, it was given to the convent of Dalmulin, on the bank of the Ayr; but upon the demolition of that religious house, it was transferred to the monks of Paisley, in whose hands it remained till the Reformation, while the duties of it were performed by a curate or chaplain, appointed by that monastery. After the Reformation, it was united to the parish of Craigie, and continued so till its final disjunction in 1648. In 1621, the whole tithes belonged to the Earl of Abercorn. The patronage, too, was in his hands; but soon afterwards it was conferred upon the family of Caprington, who have continued to exercise it ever since. It is one of the best endowed parishes in the county. The The present incumbent is the sixth minister since the

Revolution.

Church. The present church was built in 1823, but not on the site of the former one, which was in the burying-ground. It is erected on a mound in the middle of the village, partly natural and partly artificial, and which was formerly called "Seat of Judgment," having been, it is supposed, one of those court hills where justice was administered and executed in ancient times. It is a plain square building, of no particular style of architecture, but very substantial and commodious, and alike comfortable both for speaker and hearer. It is ornamented with a handsome spire and clock, and, as it stands on a considerable eminence, it forms a conspicuous object in the landscape. It cost, including every expense, about L.4000. It might contain, allowing eighteen inches for each, 1192 sittings; but by the sheriff's decreet, it is allocated for little more than 1000. The rest includes table-seats, &c. which are all free sittings. The situation of the church is rather awkward, being nearly six miles from the one end of the parish, and two from the other; but still it is not inconveniently for the great bulk of the inhabitants; the greater proportion of them being within a mile and a half distant, and nearly the one-half being closely adjacent to it. The system of seat-letting is not common,-such seats as are let, except a few, being let at only a nominal price.

Munse. The manse and office-houses were built between forty and fifty years ago. Upon the entrance of the present incumbent in 1837, they underwent some repairs, which have rendered them very comfortable. The glebe, including garden, stance of house, &c. is about 8 acres in extent. Naturally, the soil is good, but, being in bad condition, it would not rent at present

above L. 2, 10s. an acre. The garden contains about an acre, and is well enclosed on two sides by a high and substantial wall, lately built at the sole expense of the heritors. The stipend, as decreed by the Court in 1811, consists of 111 bolls, 1 firlot, 1 peck, 1 lippy meal, 77 bolls, 3 firlots, I peck, lippy barley, with L. 60, 3s. 8d. in money, and L. 8, 6s. 8d. for communion elements.

There is no Dissenting place of worship in the parish. About forty years ago a chapel in connection with the Relief body was erected in the village; but it has long since been pulled down. The parish church is well attended. The number of communicants on last sacramental occasion was between 600 and 700, those who communicated for the first time amounting to 120. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper has hitherto been dispensed only once a-year; but arrangements have now been made for its dispensation twice a-year. The number of individuals belonging to the Established Church, when last ascertained, was 2410; to other denominations, including United Secession, Relief, Old Light, Cameronians, or Macmillanites, Independents, Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, and Roman Catholics, 304.

Education.-There are three schools in the parish, attended by upwards of 250 scholars. The average attendance at the parish school is 100. The branches taught are, English reading, spelling, and grammar, arithmetic, writing and book-keeping, Latin, Greek, and French. The fees per quarter are the following: for English reading, 3s.; reading and writing, 3s. 6d., with arithmetic, 4s.; book-keeping, 6s.; Latin, 7s. 6d., with Greek, 10s. Generally about one-half are taught reading only; the rest receive the various other branches above specified. The schoolmaster has the maximum salary. The average amount of fees annually is L. 50. He enjoys other small salaries and perquisites, as session, heritor's clerk, &c. One of the other schools is in the village, attended by about 100 scholars. The other is at Hurlford, attended by about 50 scholars; and to this are attached a free house and garden. The house was built by subscription, and the ground was given by the Duke of Portland. The teacher has no income independent of his fees. Nothing but the ordinary branches are taught in these private schools. A school of industry for females, and an infant school are both very much needed in the parish. There are two Sabbath schools, one in the village of Riccarton, and the other at Hurlford; they are attended by about 180 scholars, and are both under the superintendence of the minister.