New farming ideas

After 1750, new farming ideas and techniques began to reach Britain from abroad. Most of these ideas came from Holland and Denmark. At first, the ideas were not popular, but they soon started to spread across Britain because the farmers using them were making good profits.

Changes in farming techniques during this period were connected with:

• A more scientific approach used for crop rotation.
• Soil improvement that allowed better quality crops to be grown.
• New stock breeding techniques to produce bigger cattle and better meat.
• The use of new machinery in fields.

Agricultural improvers played an important role in changing and improving British farming techniques. Improvers were divided into three categories:

1. Agricultural improvers - people who worked to improve the land.
2. Selective breeders - people who worked to improve the quality of cattle.
3. Propagandists - people who worked to spread new ideas about farming techniques.