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Enclosure Act
Series of acts by Parliament that enclosed common lands in the country, and created legal property rights to previously common lands. These acts enclosed approximately 6.8 million acres of previously common lands. -
Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge -- Advocates the Potato
The Royal Society of London advocated for the potato when it was proven to be a superior crop to many others that are susceptible to weather and vulnerable conditions. Potatoes grow underground, meaning they are protected from weather and vulnerable conditions, and can be grown in small plots of land. The potato was able to feed a whole family from small plots of land and was responsible for lower child mortality rates. They claimed it was the "food for poor people". -
Norfolk Four Course Crop Rotation
The Norfolk Four-Course system was the crop rotation system that had wheat grown in the first year, turnips in the second year (fed livestock in the winter), and barley in the third year with clovers and ryegrass undersown. Clover and ryegrass were used for livestock feed or as grazing foods in the fourth year. This system originated in Norfolk county, England, and many other surrounding counties at the end of the 17th century. It continued popularity into the 18th centuries and beyond. -
Dutch & Rotherham Swing (wheel-less) Plough
In the mid-1600s came an attempt to redesign the plough. Rotherham built and patented his Swing Plough, which was named as such for the lack of a depth wheel. It was more efficient and lighter than other ploughs of the time, and may have been the first to be mass produced in factories. -
Development of a National Market
The market that sprung from the increased labor and goods due to the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions in England evolved into a national market that was driven by London itself. This was aided by the creation and expansion of roads and inland waterways. As a side effect, farming became a business that was free to make its own prices and decisions. -
Land Conversion, Drainage, and Reclamation Programs
Converting pasture land into usable land for farming allowed for more farming and pastures to establish themselves, therefore increasing the amount of goods a country could produce. Soil drainage, canal building, and soil maitenance all became mainstream procedures that farmers took part in. to aid their crops and livestock. Water-meadows, grassland that is subject to irrigation to increase productivity, allowed for earlier pasturing of livestock after being wintered on hay. -
Jethro Tull & the Seed Drill
Jethro Tull was an English agricultural pioneer that created the seed drill. This drill was mechanical, sowing seeds at the correct depth and spacing for optimal growth. The innovation allowed for more efficient sowing and more successful crop yields from farmers. -
Charles “Turnip” Townshend
"Turnip" Townshend got his name for his involvement in the development of turnips in crop rotation. He discovered that rotating crops on the same field greatly increased crop yields and encouraged following a cereal grain with a vegetable crop such as turnips. -
Robert Bakewell, Thomas Coke, & the Development of Selective Breeding
Bakewell and Coke introduced selective breeding as a scientific practice in the mid-18th century. Selective breeding is the process of mating together two animals with particular desirable traits in order to optimize the next generation of livestock. They also introduced inbreeding as a way to stabilize certain qualities and reduce genetic diversity. -
Arthur Young
Arthur Young was an avid propagandist for the progressive agricultural practices that were emerging during his time. He supported and encouraged the use of the seed drill, specialized and improved crop rotations, different fertilizers, enclosure, and he wrote many books on agriculture.