Specialised farming

• South-East is more suited to arable (cultivate crops wit the aid of the plough). Whereas, the north and west were more suited to rearing livestock - terrain was rugged and hilly.
• Pastoral farming - aim to produce livestock.
• Specialised farming helped improve economic conditions for farmers:

  • Yeomanry benefitted the most as they owned a large amount of land, sheltered from the poor harvests.
  • Husbandmen grew in number, farmed land less than 40 acres, slow to pick up the specialisation and techniques.
• The number of wage-dependent agricultural labourers grew - inflation reduced their wages.
• More farm labourers after the Settlement Act.