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Agriculture

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Agriculture

 

 

 

 Agriculture spreads

 
  "The family farm grew from a small plot, in 1800 to a several-hundred-acre estate by 1900" (Outman).These farms grew because of the practice of enclosure. Enclosure is the process of taking over farmland that was owned previously by peasant farmers. The developments in agricultural mechanization during the 18th century required large, enclosed fields in order to be workable. This led to a series of government acts, which included the General Enclosure Act of 1801.This made much more farm output. Most of the peasant farmers had to go to the city for work at the factories.  
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution - 33k)
 
 Mechanization
 
   McCormick Reaper :
    One machine that was created during the revolution was the McCormick Reaper. This machine only needed two people for the operation. "It cut as much grain in one day as 4-5 men with cradles or 12-16 men with reaping hooks." (www.vaes.vt.edu/steeles/mccormick/harvest.html) This machine, made in 1831, was improved over the next 100 years.                                    
                                            
The first reaper included these elements:                 
  1. Reciprocal knife                                        
  2. Fingers or gaurds
  3. Revolving reel                     
  4. Platform
  5. Master wheel                                                                                                                                              
  6. Forward draft
  7. Divider                                                                                         
                   -( www. vaes.vt edu/steeles/mccormick/harvest.html  - IR project)
  
 Seed Drill :
    There was also the seed drill which was invented by
Jethro Tull. This aided farmers by depositing seeds in
rows rather then wastefully over the land. (Ellis)
                                                                            
 
 Four Field Crop Rotation :
  During the middle ages the farmers had the open field system.They would have three fields with different plants and then the fourth they would keep fallow(empty). Over the next two centuries they would then plant in legumes which increased the nutrients in the soil. The people in Flanders learned that it was more effective to plant turnips and clover to replace the 'fallow' year. This was called the Four Field Crop Rotation. Charles Townsend introduced this from Flanders to Great Britain.(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution )
 
 
  Steam Driven Engine :

  In the 1850's and 60's John Fowler made the steam-driven engine that would plough farmland more quickly and economically than the horse-drawn ploughs. This engine could also dig drainage channels, which would now cultivate the unused swamp land. Since the cost of the engines would sometimes be too much for a single farmer, it "lead to the developement of an independant contracting industry for ploughing."(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution )

 

 

 

 
 
 Today
  Today enclosure is still occuring. Their are not as many smaller farms as there used to be. Many of the farms today are from bigger businesses which no one can compete against so the individual farmers have to sell their land and find different jobs.
 
 
 Sources :
 
Ellis, Elisabeth G., and Anthony Esler. World History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.
 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution - 33k
 
 Outman, James L., and Elisabeth M. Outman. Industrial Revolution Almanac. Farmington Hills, NJ: The Gale Group, Inc, 2003.
 

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