Algriculture revolution

• Before: relied on subsistence farming
• Disadvantage of subsistence farming:

  • agriculture change had been slow & production mostly for subsistence rather than the market
  • poor communications meant produce could only reach local markets
• Old Method used? & what is it?

  • Open Field System (farmers rotates crops to grow food)
  • Each year: used 2 fields to grow crops : 1 field fallow (left unplanted)
• Disadvantages of open field system:

  • time wasteful as farmers spent much time travelling from strip to strip
  • land wasteful (always had 1 land not in use)
  • could not meet demand for food as population grew
• Charles Turnip Townshend (developed a second advance in food production)

  used a system of land called Three Field Crop Rotation
• Disadvantage of Three Field Crop Rotation:

  • produced no winter fodder
  • Meant: every winter animals had to be slaughtered
• Replaced with what? & what was it?

  • Four Field System of Crop Rotation 1730
  • Turnips & Clover planted with Wheat & Barley (over a 4yr period)
• Advantages of Four Field System of Crop Rotation:

  1. made soil fertile & productive (led to: better harvests)
  2. provided winter fodder for animals
  3. animals can be kept alive until their meat was needed (first time ever: fresh meat available throughout winter)
• Jethro Thull developed 2 machines:

  1.(Introduced 1701) Seed Drill: produced more abundant crops

  2. (Introduced around 1731) Horse-Hoe: removed weeds from fields giving crops more space to develop - so, became more abundant (available in large quantities)

  Result to: made sowing & maintaining crops much easier & more productive
• Joseph Foljambe

  invented Rotherham Plough in 1730

  which: cuts labour costs & saves time
• During 1750s farmers began an Enclosure Movement

  Means: enclosed fields with hedges & abolished idea of strips of land
• Owners of land petitioned for Parliament to pass Acts of Enclosure (passed over 4000). Why?


  Farmers realized it would allow them to increase profits by adopting more efficient methods
• Advantages: (enclosure movement)

  • more efficient
  • reduced diseases in crops meant: more land can now be used because so much time was being saved
  • allowed farmers to use more modern techniques
• Disadvantages: (enclosure movement)

  • villagers lose their right to graze animals on common land
  • while, provide landowners opportunity to breed selectively
• Robert Bakewell

  • develop system called Selective Breeding
  • involved breeding sheep to become meatier/woolier
  • seen as a successful system as within 50yrs livestock had more than doubled in weight
  • meant: produced more food (for market)
  • : more profit (for farmer)
• Reasons why Agricultural developments (essential) prior to Industrial development:

  • growing urban population could be fed
  • home market consumed all food produce but supply enough thus no shortages. Therefore stable society
  • agricultural workers provided a market for some goods that would be produce in towns
  • landowners made considerable profits. Often invested in industrial enterprises e.g canal building