4.1 how far did agricultural techniques and investment impact on the economy?

Question 1

8 themes as to how far did agricultural techniques and investment impact on the economy?

Answer 1

new crops
enclosure
farming techniques
water meadows
specialised farming
growth if employment
capital investment
national markets

Question 2

4 changes to agriculture

Answer 2

new crops
enclosure
farming techniques
water meadows

Question 3

changes - new crops

Answer 3

• artichokes
• asparagus
• clover (nitrogen rich so helped provide nutrients for soil)

Question 4

impact of new crops

Answer 4

development of market gardens

Question 5

changes - enclosure

Answer 5

common medieval practice
scattered holdings -> enclosed blocks of fenced of land
single tenant / landowner
separate pastures for animals

Question 6

impact of enclosure

Answer 6

crop production not unnecessarily duplicated
fewer rivals
improved efficiency

Question 7

changes - farming techniques

Answer 7

modernized under tudors (this process continued under stuarts)
increased literacy levels = yeomen used books to aid farming techniques
improvements in crop rotation (1420: 7 million acres farmed, 3 million left fallow, 1700: 9 million farmed, 1.8 million left fallow)
irrigation improved (often carried out by dutch immigrants)

Question 8

impact of new farming techniques

Answer 8

awareness
-use as much land as possible
-crops should be selected based in soil
can now experiment with crops (tried potatoes and a new type of frost resistant turnips)

Question 9

changes - water meadows

Answer 9

had existed for 100 years pre-1625
streams regulated by gates and dams to gently cover a field
soil always damp thererore chances of flood reduced

Question 10

impact of water meadows

Answer 10

expanded hugely over 17th century

Question 11

short term who benefited and who was negatively effected by changes to agricultural techniques

Answer 11

landowner benefit
-improved efficiency
Peasants negatively effected
-previously could use common land, now enclosed

Question 12

what changes occurred in growth of specialised farming

Answer 12

realisation could farm suited to the local conditions
introduction of national markets
transport infrastructure improved

Question 13

impact of specialised farming

Answer 13

national markets
farmers could use their land more appropriately
SE = arable
N and W = livestock
improved economic conditions for many farmers
growth of employment
240,000 in skilled employment by end of period

Question 14

who was positively effected by specialised farming

Answer 14

improved economic conditions for many farmers
yeomen benefited (owned vast amounts of land therefore vast improvement, were also sheltered from a poor harvest so could experiment more)
wealthy landowners benefited as easier to hire labourers since many were settled labourers, did not have to contribute to poor rates

Question 15

who was negatively effected by specialised farming

Answer 15

small farms
rarely made enough to make a substantial profit from a specialised crop
small tenant farming became unsustainable
inflation = real value of wages fell
poor job security (esp if not an apprentice)
richer got richer, same number of labourers, fewer landowners to employ them

Question 16

capital investment in agriculture - what changes happend

Answer 16

higher gentry and aristocracy invested in large scale modernisation (as yeomen unable to afford large investments)
purchased neighboring farms, enclosed it and invested in new crops
large farms = v. profitable
cheap investment in human capital and working capital (stuff became more affordable)
large farms sold to markets where demand (and prices) were high rather than local markets
counties began to specialize
farm owners began to delegate sections of work out to tenants
-tenants charged high rent rates
-expected to keep buildings, fields, hedges in good condition at own expense
infrastructure improved

Question 17

impact of capital investment in agriculture

Answer 17

increased food supply
1600= 32% of land in estates bigger than 100 acres
1700 = 54% of land in estates bigger than 100 acres
some farms +500 acres
numerically small farms were still the majority
midlands, east anglia and south east dominated by large farms
in order for tenants to remain in profit, had to specialise to suit conditions = further investment
-landlords gave tenants loans to cover capital investment

Question 18

who was positively effected by capital investment in agriculture

Answer 18

productivity increased so investors got their moneys worth
farmers could go to markets where they would be paid better prices so made more money
investment in infrastructure so local farmers benefited too

Question 19

who was negatively effected by capital investment in agriculture

Answer 19

local farmer struggled to compete with larger famrs
rent charged by large farm owners = very high and tenants expected to maintain farm at own expense
due to investment had substantial debt to pay off (this took many families below the poverty line)

Question 20

what changes occurred to national markets

Answer 20

increased demand for food with increased population
(eg london imports of grain increased from 500,000 quarterrs in 1605 to 1,150,000 in 1661)
towns needed better organised markets
second half of century infrastructure improved
Tunpike Act 1663 - new toll roads
1657 development of stage coach
1675 - first road atlas
end of 17th century Thames, Ouse and Severn dredged to allow water transport

Question 21

impact of national markets

Answer 21

london thrived
new roads linked towns
road atlas became essential for merchants
dredged rivers = better transport
but national markets didnt dominate until 18th cent (late)
large proportion of farms still supplied local markets
dominance of london not always good as drains resources from south east for example

Question 22

who benefited from national markets

Answer 22

infrastructure improvements led to lots of development
faster and better links across country
smaller towns now identified more easily (so trade there increased) due to road atlas
scottish lowlands exploited for its fertility

Question 23

who was negatively impacted by national markets

Answer 23

small villages - who didnt supply major towns or cities
prices for agricultural commodities rose x6
london breweries drove small breweries out of business as they were capable for buying more barley (and would pay more for it)
destroyed the brewing industry in many smaller towns