HH62/1/AYR/29

Transcription

COUNTY OF AYR.

NORTHERN DISTRICT REPORT.

This district comprises twelve parishes, with an area of about
122,000 acres. It contains the largest non-burghal population of
the four districts into which the county has been divided for admin-
istrative purposes. It forms the north and north-west part of the
old division of Ayrshire called Cunningham. The length of the
district from north-west to south-east is about 22 miles, and its
greatest breadth about 13 miles.
Population. - At the census of 1891, the population of the dis-
trict (outwith burghs) was 41,572. Leaving the burghs out of con-
sideration, the most populous parishes are Dalry, Beith, Kilbirnie,
Stevenston, and Dreghorn. There has been a slight decrease of the
population of the district during the last decennium. The chief cause
of this is the falling off in the mining population of Dalry, which
parish showed a decrease of over 2000 at the last census as compared
with that of 1881. There are, however, good grounds for believing
that the population of Dalry has reached a minimum, and is now, if
anything, on the increase. The parishes of Beith, Stevenston, West
Kilbride, Kilbirnie, Largs, and Dreghorn showed more or less of an
increase at the last enumeration period.

GENERAL SANITARY CONDITION OF DISTRICT, WITH
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ITS IMPROVEMENT.

In a district with such varied industries - mining, manufactures,
agriculture, &c. - the sanitary state may likewise be expected to show
a diversity.
Water Supply. - In the greater number of villages in the
district the water supply is by gravitation, and is, as a rule, abundant
and wholesome. Notable exceptions to this rule are found in the
villages of Glengarnock aud Dreghorn. Both villages are now either
formed or being formed into Special Water Supply Districts. Out-
breaks of enteric fever from time to time at Glengarnock have been
probably due to the impure water supply, while the same may be
said as regards Dreghorn. The population of the latter is about
1000. Last summer nearly all the wells furnishing the chief supply