Second Agricultural Revolution Timeline

  • The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge Advocates the Potato

    The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge Advocates the Potato

    The potato was promoted by the society for widespread use due to its high yield and calorie density. It helped to diversify European's diets and improve food security.
  • Dutch and Rotherham Swing (Wheel-Less) Plough Introduced

    Dutch and Rotherham Swing (Wheel-Less) Plough Introduced

    Eliminated the need for wheels, making it easier to turn the soil to the required depth and reduced labor. Made in the Netherlands but improved in England.
  • Jethro Tull Invents the Seed Drill

    Jethro Tull Invents the Seed Drill

    Planted seeds at the same depth and distance apart, increasing germination rates while simultaneously reducing seed waste.
  • Charles “Turnip” Townsend Promotes Turnip Cultivation

    Charles “Turnip” Townsend Promotes Turnip Cultivation

    Townshend was a big proponent of turnips, both as fodder and a soil restoration crop. He advocated for crop rotation systems using the turnip.
  • Norfolk Four-Course Crop Rotation System

    Norfolk Four-Course Crop Rotation System

    The Norfolk system was a four crop (wheat, turnips, barley, and clover) system that replaced soil nutrients naturally and boosted the annual yield.
  • Land Conversion, Drainage, and Reclamation Programs

    Land Conversion, Drainage, and Reclamation Programs

    Landowners were starting to invest in drainage of marshes, the conversion from pastures to arable fields, and the reclamation of wetlands, which further increased crop production.
  • Robert Bakewell and Thomas Coke Develop Selective Breeding

    Robert Bakewell and Thomas Coke Develop Selective Breeding

    The two pioneered both the selective breeding of livestock like sheep and cattle as well as the usage of the practice on a large scale to increase meat, wool, and dairy output.
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    Arthur Young Publishes Agricultural Surveys and Journals

    Arthur Young, who was a leading agricultural writer, documented farming practices. He promoted enclosure, crop rotation, and scientific agriculture, spreading the knowledge of innovations across Britain.
  • Development of a National Market in Britain

    Development of a National Market in Britain

    Due to improvements in roads, canals, and other industrial architecture, farmers were able to sell goods across regions, which encouraged specialized farming and commercial farming.
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    Enclosure Acts

    Parliament passed a series of Enclosure Acts, which legally gave large agricultural forces the power to take land that was once common and turn it into commercial farms. This increased agricultural output but forced many into more industrial focused jobs.