Agriculture

What was high farming?

A set of ideas promoted by James Caird

• Sought to reorganise & modernise British farming so it could survive the challenges of cheap free trade imports

• Fertilisers (guano), mixed farming, drainage improvements, steam ploughs = intended to increase agric productivity

When was the ‘Golden Age’ of farming?

1851-1873

What wasn’t the reason for GB’s ‘Golden Age’?

High Farming

What 3 factors were the reason for the ‘Golden Age’ of farming?

• High transport costs - price of foreign grain did not fall to levels that threatened arable farmers

• Good weather produced bumper crops

• Growth of a growing urban market linked to farms by railways increased market penetration

What % did livestock & dairy prices rise by?

20-50%

What was the wide-scoping limitation of High Farming?

It suited farms of 300 acres or bigger (only 1/3 of acreage)

• The average farm = 111 acres

• 60% of farms = 5-100 acres

What 3 things constrained most farmers from completing High Farming?

• Lack of capital

• Lack of education

• High rents → many feared any improvements would lead to higher rents

What were 2 main disadvantages of drainage?

It was expensive

It’s effectiveness = limited by small/fragmented farm acreage

What were the Corn Laws?

All imports of grain were subject to a tariff to protect arable farming

What were 2 opportunities of free trade?

• Facilitates British exports of staples to other free trade nations

• Allows the rest of the world to sell food & products to GB → raises income to pay for British exports

What were 2 risks of free trade?

• High prices bc of tariffs benefit & protect arable farmers & their landowners - does not benefit an urban population → now pay more for expensive imports

• One country’s protectionism may incite another’s→ export growth = inhibited → agric & indus enterprise may become complacent w/o global competition