Agricultural Revolution

Agricultural Revolution

1. From 1750 on

   • Before 1750
     • Open field system
       • Land around villages = 3 huge open fields called Commons
         • narrow scattered strips for growing crops
           • Farmers wasted time travelling between various scattered strips of land
             • No hedges or fences
               • Weeds hard to control
               • Crops destroyed when Animals trampled on crops
               • Diseases spread quickly among animals cos all grazed together on the common
                 • To rest the land one whole field had to be left fallow (unplanted)

2. Huge changes in agriculture in Britain

   • Open fields divided up into small farms
     • Fences used to enclose fields
       • Easier to farm a compact block of land rather than scattered strips of land
         • Diseases and weeds easier to control
           • Not good for everyone - peasants now they had nowhere to graze their animals

3. Robert Bakewell

   • Improved breeding of cattle and sheep
     • Separated male and female herds of cattle and sheep so that breeding could only take place at certain times. This led to stronger healthier heavier animals
       • Charles "Turnip" Townsend
         • Introduced New system of crop rotation
           • Meant no fields left fallow
             • So all fields being used so old fallow field was used to plant turnips or clover. Turnips used to feed cattle during winter = stronger, healthier heavier animals
   • Jethro Tull
     • Invented the seed drill so that seeds would not be wasted and seeds now planted in rows

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