The British also paid attention to livestock development. They adopted a good method of rearing goats and increased their weight. The goats went from emaciated and sickly to becoming very overweight. The breeding they did produced good goats and they created the Newlei cester breed. Goats that previously weighed 21 pounds became sixty pounds after they developed their new breed. They used the above method to breed cows and got good results. This shift produced more meat as well as more wool.
Progress made by
agricultural activists
Thomas Cook turned his land into a farm by using a new method
of using manure. His farm became a model farm. King George III was also very
interested in agriculture. He built a model farm on the outskirts of the
palace. As he was very fond of agriculture, he was called by the special name
of Agricultural George.
Sir Arthur Young was also active in agriculture. He travelled
to many places and wrote a book about his experience and gave it to the
farmers. His main aim is to impart important information about agriculture to
the people. He was instrumental in establishing farmers' associations and
agricultural cooperatives. He even hired teachers to explain agriculture to the
people. Due to his knowledge of agriculture, he was appointed as the first
secretary of the agriculture committee. He considered that the land was
fragmented and could not be cultivated in the modern way.
Impacts of the
Agricultural Revolution
The agricultural revolution brought about a new change in
agriculture. Old farming systems were abandoned and new farming systems were
established. The country's economy grew not by increasing production. Livestock
production increased, so more meat and wool products were available. As the
manufacturing economy rose, the country's economy rose not only because people
got the goods they needed. New fertilizers and new farming methods were
responsible for this development.
There was also a law in England that only a certain amount of
land owned could become a Member of Parliament. Only rich people offered to buy
land only to join politics. Arbitrators of the Peace must own land worth £100.
Rich people offered to buy land for that too. So many rich people came forward
to give money to buy land. In the old system, everyone in a family was engaged
in agriculture so there was no unemployment.
However after the agricultural revolution, because of the use of
machinery for farming, not everyone in a family could find employment, so
unemployment increased. The beneficiaries of the agrarian revolution were
largely land-dependent. Some of them sold their lands and moved to cities.
The troubles of the people in the country increased due to
the Napoleonic wars. Food prices went up. Grain Acts were enacted by Parliament
to control the prices of grains. So the importation of foreign grain into
England was restricted. England's landowners profited greatly from the lack of
competition for their grain. People struggled to buy even simple food products.
Reviewed by knowledge people creators
on
April 14, 2023
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