Upload
others
View
17
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
British Agricultural and Industrial Portfolio Guidelines
The Agricultural Revolution was a time period during the British Industrial Revolution where revolutionary
inventions were made to help peasants grow more and better crops. During the agricultural revolution, many new
farming techniques and tools including the fourcrop rotation system, the seed drill, and the Rotherham plough
were invented and used to increase the amount of production, and also to make farming much easier than it was
before.
One of the concepts that had impacts on the British Agricultural Revolution is the fourcrop rotation system.
Created by Lord Turnip Townshend, the fourcrop rotation system is a technique to grow crops without having to
keep the fields fallow for 2 or 3 years because of insufficient nutrients. It consists of crops such as wheat, turnips,
oats or barley, and clover. Lord Townshend was famous for his cultivation of turnips and clover. The purpose of
the fourcrop rotation system was to help keep the ground good and nutritious for farming almost all year round,
and to also “rest” the land and improve it by growing other crops on the field during the process of the rotation of
crops. The way the system worked was after wheat, barley or oats are harvested, clover and turnips are planted.
Animals graze on the fields of turnips and clover during the winter,
and their droppings help manure the soil. By this, the nutrients will
be naturally replaced into the soil.
Before the fourcrop rotation system was introduced to the British,
they used the an older system called the three year strip rotation of
crops. It was less effective, and required for people in December to
distribute strips of land to each other that were granted by
landowners. One peasant got 30 strips and one strips equaled one
acre. As time passed, these strips got smaller and smaller as they
were distributed among 3 open fields. Peasants got less strips. When
the fourcrop rotation was introduced, farmers were able to produce
higher quality food and it also provided a larger supply of food for
the continuously growing population of the community. With this,
Source; http://www.saburchill.com/history/chapters/IR/003f.html; The fourcrop rotation system; Ret.: Nov. 30, 2015
individuals no longer had to find other jobs when it wasn’t harvesting season, and they didn’t have to worry about
the supply of food. According to British Agricultural Revolution (n.d.), “Grain yields benefited from new and
better seed alongside improved rotation and fertility: wheat yields increased by a quarter in the 18th century and
nearly half in the 19th…”. Overall, the fourcrop rotation system was very effective and had a great impact on the
individuals and communities during the British Agricultural Revolution.
The seed drill was another invention that had affected the individuals and communities during the British
Agricultural Revolution. It was one of the main inventions by Jethro Tull. The seed drill allowed for seeds to be
easily planted deep into the earth instead of near the top, where the majority were washed away, eaten by birds, or
lost. It worked with a pair of horses pulling on it, and it consisted of rotating drills or runners that would plant
seeds at a set depth. It also allowed for farmers to be able to sow three regular straight rows of seeds. It was easier
to kill weed as well. Jethro Tull created this seed drill because he had thought that less seed would be needed and
production would increase if crops were planted in straight rows that could be weeded. The seed drill is a wheeled
device, with a box containing grain in it. The ratchet would distribute the seeds out
evenly as it is pulled by the horse.Before the seed drill, farmers had to hand distribute
the seeds, and this was less effective. Tull used the idea of “rotary mechanism” to
create the seed drill. The idea of “rotary mechanism” provided inspiration to future
sowing technology. According to Royal Berkshire History (n.d), “‘It was named a drill
because when farmers used to sow their beans and peas into channels or furrows by
hand, they called that action drilling.’ says Tull”. By the 20th century, Tull’s basic
principles in machinery were generally adopted. Thus, Jethro Tull’s seed drill had a
major influence on the British Agricultural Revolution and inspired future mechanic
inventors.
Source; https://www.asme.org/engineeringtopics /articles/historyofmechanicalengineering/jethrotull ; The seed drill; Retrieved.: Nov. 30, 2015
11
British Agricultural and Industrial Portfolio Guidelines
The third concept that impacted the Agricultural Revolution is the Rotherham Plough. The Rotherham Plough was
created by Joseph Foljambe, and later sold off to Disney Staniforth of Firbeck. It’s purpose was to plow land in a
much more effective and easier way for farmers. It turned the soil more efficiently and prepared the soil for
cultivation and sowing the seeds. It is worked with a pair of horses, and was constructed of wood like a standard
plough. However, the fittings and coulter (which is the cutting blade) were made of iron unlike the standard and
traditional plough, making the Rotherham Plough efficient. As the horses draw the plough, a farmer on the other
side works the plough. The Rotherham Plough was lighter than previous ploughs. According to Agriculture during the Industrial Revolution (n.d), the Rotherham Plough was revolutionary between 1750 and 1900, and although there were many iron ploughs, they were not as successful as the Rotherham Plough. The reasons to this
is because the Rotherham Plough was easier to use compared to other ploughs previous to the Rotherham Plough.
It provided an easier, effective, and cheaper way to plow land and eased farming for the British Agricultural
Revolution.
Source; http://www.rotherhamunofficial.co.uk/history/18th/plough.html; The Rotherham Plough; Ret.: Nov. 26, 2015
The British Agricultural Revolution affected individuals as it was a time
period that significantly improved their lifestyles. By innovations such as the
Rotherham Plough, fourcrop rotation system, and Jethro Tull’s seed drill,
agriculture was much more easier and effective for farmers. The ideas and
machinery applied to make these innovations soon were adapted and used in
modern machinery. Thus, the British Agricultural Revolution affected
individuals, the community, and the world as it made agriculture easier and
also contributed to the development of machinery.
12
British Agricultural and Industrial Portfolio Guidelines
Bibliography
Agriculture during the Industrial Revolution. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from
https://prezi.com/s0bnscmwibms/agricultureduringtheindustrialrevolution/
British Agricultural Revolution. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution
Jethro Tull. (2012, July 1). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from
https://www.asme.org/engineeringtopics/articles/historyofmechanicalengineering/jethrotull
Rotherham Unofficial. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from
http://www.rotherhamunofficial.co.uk/history/18th/plough.html
The Open Door Web Site : History : The Agricultural Revolution : The Four Field System. (n.d.). Retrieved
November 30, 2015, from http://www.saburchill.com/history/chapters/IR/003f.html
13