Agricultural Revolution 1750-on

Farming in 1750

• Hadn’t changed since Middle Ages• V inefficient• Each farmer grew enough food for themselves• …and made clothes from wool or flax• This is called self-sufficient• This means you looked after your own need…• …but you didn’t have any extra to sell

Land in a village (or manor)

• Divided into 3 huge fields and a commons• The commons was open to everyone • No hedges or fences separating it• All animals grazed there• Problem: Disease spread easily between the

animal• 3 Huge Fields• Each field divided into strips• Peasant farmers owned one strip in each field

Crop rotation• Each field grew diff crops each yr• They swopped the crops grown each yr• Because there was no fertiliser…• …one field was given a rest each yr to recover• This was called ‘fallow’• System = crop rotation• Problem? – one field left to waste • No fences between each farmer’s strip…• So weeds spread easily

Planting crops

• Plough soil, plant seeds, harvest the crop!• Farmers used wooden plough to break up the soil• …then scattered seed by hand• At harvest time people had to manually get the

crop• Problems: Wooden ploughs weren’t strong –

broke easily• Birds ate much of the seed• A lot of waste

Improvements after 1750 - 4-field system

• Four-field system• Crop rotation system had wasted 1 field each

yr• Charles Townshend – invented 4-field system

of crop rotation• Planted turnip in a field instead of leaving it

fallow• Turnip placed nutrients in the soil

Improvements – 4-field system

• Townshend was nicknamed Turnip Townshend

• All the land could now be used each yr• The turnips were used to feed cattle in winter• Benefits: 1. No wasted fields• 2. Cattle became bigger

New Farm Machinery

• Steel ploughs – stronger• Jethro Tull invented mechanical seed drill• Planted seeds deep in the ground• No waste, no birds eating• Cyrus McCormack – invented mechanical

reaper• This harvested crops faster

Selective Breeding

Robert Bakewell - New idea to make bigger animals – why?

…so there would be more meat to eat!Only allowed big strong animals to mate togetherTheir offspring (babies) were bigger and strongerThe weaker animals were slaughtered for meatAnimals had doubled in size by Bakewell’s death

EnclosureThe narrow strips of land each farmer had made it difficult

to experimentWhy? you had v little room since you only had 1 strip in each fieldweeds spread into your strip without any frences your animals were not separated on the commons……so diseases spread easilyHow could there be selective breeding if all the animals

grazed together?How could new crops and machines be tried if everyone

planted same thing in each field?Wealthier farmers wanted a solution

Enclosure - 2

In 18th c enclosure was introduced by the govtThe 3 big open fields and the commons were

abolishedThe land was divided into separate farms for

each farmersSize of farm depended on your wealthEach farm was then enclosed – fenced off……and subdivided into smaller fieldsDrains dug and hedges planted between fields

Enclosure - advantages- 3

• Weeds and diseases could now be controlled in fenced off fields

• Farmers could try new crops and rotations• Lakes and ditches were drained – made more

land available• Farmers able to produce more food• More food available to people…• So population increased

DisadvantagesNot everyone benefitted Poor farmers got tiny farmsNot enough land to live onLabourers who had no land were doomed They had kept animals on the commonsNow the commons was goneAlso, had worked for farmers during harvestThe mechanical reaper meant they weren’t needed

anymoreSmall farmers and labourers left rural areasMoved to industrial cities to work in factoriesProvided a workforce for the industrial revolution

Recap • Crop rotation 4-field system turnip

townshend• Old system = 3 large fields + commons shared

by all farmers• New system = enclosure – fields divided –

hedges and ditches• New machines = Jethro Tull – seed drill• Cyrus McCormack – mechanical reaper