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 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 together  Their offspring (babies) were bigger and stronger  The weaker animals were slaughtered for meat  Animals had doubled in size by Bakewell’s death

Enclosure  The narrow strips of land each farmer had made it difficult to experiment  Why?  you had v little room since you only had 1 strip in each field  weeds spread into your strip without any frences  your animals were not separated on the commons…  …so diseases spread easily  How 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 18 th c enclosure was introduced by the govt  The 3 big open fields and the commons were abolished  The land was divided into separate farms for each farmers  Size of farm depended on your wealth  Each farm was then enclosed – fenced off…  …and subdivided into smaller fields  Drains 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

Disadvantages  Not everyone benefitted  Poor farmers got tiny farms  Not enough land to live on  Labourers who had no land were doomed  They had kept animals on the commons  Now the commons was gone  Also, had worked for farmers during harvest  The mechanical reaper meant they weren’t needed anymore  Small farmers and labourers left rural areas  Moved to industrial cities to work in factories  Provided a workforce for the industrial revolution

Recap Crop rotation 4-field systemturnip 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