The Agrarian Revolution in Britain

​The Agrarian Revolution in Britain

​​The Agrarian Revolution began in Britain. It was at its peak between 1750 and 1850. Agriculture was transformed from a simple and humble occupation to a complex and highly professional practice.

​Factors that led to Agrarian Revolution in Britain

Growing Demand for Agricultural Produce

​There was a big demand for food by the rapidly growing urban population and an even greater demand for agricultural raw materials for the many modern and improved textile and leather factories.

​The Agrarian Revolution caused more fallow land to be cultivated.

​Waste and moorland was reclaimed while increased irrigation saw food being grown all year round. Farmers then started using improved cultivation methods to produce more food from the land.

​​Farm Mechanisation

In 1701, one of the early British experimental farmers, Jethro Tull invented the first major farm implement called the seed drill. The seed drill made it possible for seed to be sown in rows, or drills. English farming was improved by the implement because the land between rows was kept clean and inter-row crop farming was made easier. Later, farm machinery was introduced for all sorts of farm work.

​Jethro Tull also invented a horse-drawn hoe in the same year (1701) which replaced the harrow. With the use of this new machine, it was possible to keep the roots of plants moist and clear harmful weeds since it went deep into the ground.

​Harvesting of crops which was a slow process and required many workers was also solved. Andrew Meikle invented a mechanical thresher in 1876 which speeded up the process. In the same way, from 1825, the iron plough effectively replaced the wooden plough. With machines for ploughing, threshing, harrowing and harvesting, the costly farm labour was minimised and wastage reduced and food production increased.

​Breeding of Livestock

​Meanwhile, another farmer, Robert Bakewell (1725-1795), had been experimenting on selective breeding for livestock. He developed animal husbandry and is credited for new improved livestock breeds such as the Shorthorn, Devon, Hereford, Aberdeen- Angus and Ayrshire. Some of the modern breeds of cattle.

​Sheep breeds such as the Leicester, Shropshire, Suffolk and Oxford, and pigs such as Yorkshire, Berkshire and Tamworth were developed.

​Crop Rotation

​Turnips and clovers could be grown alternately on the same land. Clover was a cattle feed which also enriched the soil. Turnips, barley or oats, clover and wheat were now raised in a four-course rotation. Lord Townsend (1674-1738) who himself was an estate owner and renowned farmer popularised the rotation method.

​Abolition of Fallows

​The abolition of wasteful fallows increased land for cultivation.

​Use of Fertilisers

​Another improvement in agriculture in Britain followed Lord Townsend's recommendations that land should be manured to increase yield per hectare. Consequently, from 1835, Britain imported the phosphate-rich guano from Peru. Then in 1843, a superphosphate factory was opened in London by Sir John Lawes.

​Enclosure system

Another feature of the Agrarian Revolution was fencing and hedging of plots which replaced open fields in 1750. In the same year, Government legislation was passed making it mandatory for farmers to fence their land. This legislation quickened the pace of hedging and fencing. 

​By the Nineteenth century, almost all the farmland in Britain had been enclosed. The enclosure system reduced the risk of either crops or livestock contracting diseases as was the case in the pen fields. Aggressive farmers could now increase production without the hindrance of their neighbours.

​Land Consolidation

​The small strips of land were consolidated together to give room for large-scale farming.

​Scientific Methods of Food Preservation

​The development of canning and refrigeration made it possible for farmers to preserve perishable foodstuffs in large quantities and for domestic use.

​Industrial Revolution

​The industrial revolution provided the agricultural sector with inputs and at the same time market for their produce.

​Results of the Agrarian Revolution n Britain

• Increased Food Production.
  There was an increase in quality and the quantity of food produced.
• Population Increase
  The increase in the quantity, quality and variety of food available led to improved diets. This reduced deaths caused by malnutrition resulting in an increased population.
• Emergence of New Classes
  A new class of wealthy land owners emerged consisting of those wealthy people that had bought land and created agricultural estates. The peasants who had been evicted and went to work in the industries formed the working class.
• Unemployment
  The peasants that had been displaced found themselves without work. They then moved to seek employment in the industries. However, not all of them were employed. Some of those unemployed engaged in crime and other vices in an attempt to survive.
• Rural-Urban Migration
  People moved to the urban centres to seek employment in the factories, while others sought to set up businesses in these centres.
• Migration to other lands
  The big population of landless people were inesitably forced to drift away to work in the neighbouring industrial towns while others worked in the enclosed estates. It was also this pool of displaced people who readily emigrated to new lands of USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
• Indurialisation
  The Agrarian Revolution led to the development and expansion of agro- based industries. Agricultural produce from crops and livestock saw the growth of textile and dairy industries.
• Improved Standards of Living
  For the farmers there was a significant improvement in their standards of living. This was the result of the increased income that agriculture generated.
  
• The Royal Agricultural Society
  ​This society was formed in 1838 in order to facilitate the exchange of ideas among farmers. It published discoveries and organised agricultural shows and fares. The society grew with affiliates all over the world even today, e.g., the Agricultural Society of Kenya.