Caufes of Depopulation. The above extract cannot afcertain the number of marriages which have actually taken place within the parish, as proclamation of banns is made when enly one of the parties refides in it; but the register of baptifms applies ftrictly to the ftate of the parish, from which it appears, that its population has decreased gradually fince the year 1762, which may be accounted for from the following causes: First, 14 cottages, formerly occupied by married fervants, have been allowed to fall into difrepair. 2dly, Twelve of the farmers are batchelors. 3dly, Two of those who are married have no children. 4thly, Other two do not refide. 5thly, Two are widowers. 6thly, Of the 13 heritors, 8 are non-refident, in which number are included all the great landholders; and, laftly, of the remaining 5 who are residents, only one is married, whofe landed property does not exceed 171. Sterling per annum. It is therefore prefumable, that fome of the above caufes of the depopulation of this parish may not be permanent; and that at fome future period, it may be restored nearly to the population of the year 1775.

Horfes and Black Cattle.-All the above mentioned stock of horfes, black cattle, and fheep, are reared within the parish. The horfes are of the fame breed with thofe ufed for draught all over the fouth of Scotland. A few horfes are occafionally bred for fale, and bring from 10 to 20 guineas, according to their age or figure. Many black cattle are fold annually, fome in milk, and fome lean to graziers and feeders; but more generally, fince the introduction of turnip husbandry, they are fold fat to the butcher in February and March. Many of them are fold at the fair, which is held annually for that purpose, on the 25th of September. The average weight of cows bred here, is 30 ftone, and of full aged bul

locks,

locks, 40 ftone; but some of both kinds confiderably exceed these weights.

.

Sheep and Wool.-The sheep are all of the Tweeddate breed. The store-masters fell their draught ewes with lamb in April, at from 10l. to 11. Sterling per fcore. Fat lambs are fold from the 1ft of July to the 25th of Septem ber, and bring, at an average, 61. the fcore. Wedder and ewe hogs are fold in June, the former from 81. to 10l. the fcore, and the latter from 61. to 81. per ditto; but the best of the ewe hogs are referved as ftock. Ewes, which have not had lambs, are fold to the butcher in July and August, at from 11s. to 13's. each; and old ewes, which have nurfed lambs, bring from 91. to 101. the fcore, in November and December. The yeld ewes weigh, at an average, 10 lib. Dutch, per quarter, and the old ewes 8 lib. per ditto, and carry from 3 lib. to g lib. tron of tallow. The fheep are all fmeared with tar and butter in November. They are thorn in June and July; and the wool is fold from 5 s. to 7 s. 'per ftone tron, according to its quality and cleannefs.

Church, School, and Poor.-The church is supposed to be above 200 years old. Some of the feats in it bear date 1600. The money ftipend, including 100 merks for communion elements, is 661. 13 s. 4 d. Sterling, with 53 bolls 1 firlot 1 peck 2 lippies of meal, and 21 bolls 1 firlot 1 peck and 2 lippies of bear. Lord Elibank is patron.-The schoolmaster's falary is 81. 6s. 8 d. Sterling, befides 16 s. 8 d. as feffion-clerk, and 11. 6s. 8d. Sterling, as collector of the poor's rate, which was established here in 1752.-The annual affeffment on the heritors and tenants, by equal proportions, for 20 years past, has been only 5 1. Sterling. The heritors and the minifter have a meeting on the first Monday of May,

and

and another on the first Monday of November annually, for fixing the quantum of the poor's rates, admitting penfioners, and granting them annuities, according to their neceffities. There have been no beggars in the parish fince the establishment of a poor's rate. The penfioners on the heritor's lift are all house-holders, and receive from 21. to 31. Sterling per annum. They have a fund of 325 1. Sterling at interest, which is annually increasing; and it is probable, that, a few years hence, it will not be neceffary to continue the parochial affeffment. The one half of the weekly collections in the church, after paying the falaries of the feffion-clerk and kirk officer, is appropriated to the supply of the poor who are not inrolled.

Character and Antiquities.-The inhabitants of this parish are generally oeconomical, industrious, and regular in their attendance on the ordinances of religion.-There are no remains of antiquity in the parish, excepting the vestiges of two circular encampments, vulgarly called rings.

NUM

NUMBER XIV..

PARISH OF BLAIRGOWRIE

(COUNTY OF PERTH.-PRESBYTERY OF MEIGLE. SYNOD OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.)

THE

Origin of the Name.

HE name of the parish is BLAIR-GOWRIE, fo called from the village near which the church stands. In old papers it is fometimes written Blair-in-Gowrie. Various etymologies and interpretations of it have been fuggefted. Like many other names of places in the parish, it is probably Gaelic. In that language Blaar is faid to be defcriptive of a place where muir and mofs abound. Thus Ardblair is the height in the muir or mofs. The muir of Blair-Gowrie, abounding with mofs, is in the near neighbourhood of the vil lage. The Waltown of Blair, the Lochend of Blair, Little Blair, and Ardblair, are names of places on the borders of the muir.

Extent, Situation, Surface, Soil, &c.-The extent of it is confiderable, being about 11 English miles long from S. to N. and in fome places not less than 8 miles broad; but, (as may be feen from Mr Stobie's map of Perthshire), the figure is irregular, being frequently intersected by the parishes of Kinloch, Bendochy, and Rattray. The connected part of it

is

is only about 9 miles long, and from one to two miles broad. The parish is divided into two diftricts by a branch of the Grampian mountains, which is the northern boundary of this part of the beautiful valley of Strathmore. The fou thern diftrict, which lies in the strath, is about 4 miles long, and from one to two miles broad. In general it is flat. The northern district, which includes the detached parts of the parish, is high ground, very uneven in the furface. The arable land in it is in general floping, and, in many places, very steep. The hills are moftly covered with heath. Some of them may be about 600 feet above the level of the fea The foil in both districts, as may be fuppofed, is various. Along the fide of the Illa, it is a deep rich loam, free from ftones. Immediately north from that, it is a stiff loam upon a till bottom, wet and spouty. This laft is a prevailing foil in the parish, and also a light dry earth full of ftones, on a gravel bottom. In many places there is a thin stratum of a light black earth, either upon gravel or cold till. There are confiderable tracts of hill, muir and mofs, and more than 1000 acres are covered with wood. Not above a third part of the parish consists of arable ground.

Climate and Difeafes.The climate varies in different parts of the parish. It is often mild and temperate in the fou thern diftrict, while it is sharp and cold in the northern. A remarkable difference is felt, on leaving the former to go to the latter. In both, however, the air on the whole is very falubrious, and the inhabitants are not fubject to any peculiar diftempers. Formerly, indeed, the lower part of the parifh was much diftreffed with the ague, but fince fome of the lakes have been drained, that disease has totally disappeared. The rheumatifm is the most common diforder, particularly among the poorer clafs of the people, when well advanced