Study Questions for our Agriculture

Transcription

1 Study Questions for our Agriculture Readings: Dennison and Simpson s Agriculture, i.e. chapter 6 from Broadberry & O Rourke s The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Europe, Volume 1. # s 1 4 (From class) William, a European, lives in a time in which the typical seed ratio is 1:3. In other words, every 1 seed sown generates 3 seeds at harvest. 1. What time period is William likely living in? a. The Middle Ages (ex. 1200) b c d William needs to have 1000 kg of seed per year in order to keep his family adequately nourished. Fill in the table below indicating how much seed he needs to sow (i.e. to plant), if he can count on the 1:3 ratio, in order to have 1000 kg of food for eating and enough seed left over to keep the repeat going next year. 3 (i.e. a normal 1:3 yield) 3 = Seeds harvested = Seeds eaten 1000 kg = 3. Poor William! Sometimes the harvest is not as good as expected. Assume that William planted enough to take care of his family if the ratio is 1:3. However, bad weather reduces his harvest by 1/3. William only gets 2 seeds harvested per 1 planted. Calculate how much his family can eat if they want to have enough seed to plant again at the normal 1:3 ratio. should match 2 (i.e. 2 /3 the normal yield) 2 = Seeds harvested = Seeds eaten = These can differ from above Seeds for next year should match 1

2 4. How does William do in bad years relative to normal years? Fill in the 4 blanks of the table below. Bad Normal Harvest (1:3) Bad Harvest (1/3 lost, 1:2) Ratio, Normal 1000 kg 100% = % # s 5 7 (From class) John, a European, lives in a time in which the typical seed ratio is 1:12. In other words, every 1 seed sown generates 12 seeds at harvest. 5. John needs to have 1000 kg of seed per year in order to keep his family adequately nourished. Fill in the table below indicating how much seed he needs to sow (i.e. to plant), if he can count on the 1:12 ratio, in order to have 1000 kg of food for eating and enough seed left over to keep the repeat going next year. 12 (i.e. a normal 1:12 yield) 12 = Seeds harvested = Seeds eaten 1000 kg = 6. Poor John! Sometimes the harvest is not as good as expected. Assume that John planted enough to take care of his family if the ratio is 1:12. However, bad weather reduces his harvest by 1/3. John only gets 8 seeds harvested per 1 planted. Calculate how much his family can eat if they want to have enough seed to plant again at the normal 1:8 ratio. should match 8 (i.e. 2 /3 the normal yield) 8 = Seeds harvested = Seeds eaten These can differ from above = Seeds for next year should match 2

3 7. Let s see how John does in bad years relative to normal years. Fill in 4 blanks of the table below. Bad Normal Harvest (1:12) Bad Harvest (1/3 lost, 1:8) Ratio, Normal 1000 kg 100% = % 8. Compare # 4 to # 7 above, a loss of 1/3 of the regular harvest is more likely to lead to starvation, eating the dogs and children, etc. when: a. seed yields are low (ex. 1:3). b. seed yields are high (ex. 1:12). c. factors other than seed yields change. Seed yields have nothing to do with the severity of a harvest failure. 9. Think about the time period in which John lives; an era in which seed yields are 1:12 rather than 1:3. What other things will likely help John weather a bad harvest in his local area? a. Dang! No answers again! b. Well, I can probably figure this out. c. And by figuring it out without multiple choices options, I ll better understand the material. 10. Sure, there is some arbitrariness and uncertainty when it comes to dating economic revolutions. That being said, according to this class, which of the following is the best date for the start of the Agricultural Revolution? a CE b CE c CE d CE e CE f CE 11. How is the Agricultural Revolution likely related to modernity? a. The Agricultural Revolution directly led to modernity. The later Industrial Revolution was merely icing on the cake. b. The Agricultural Revolution delayed the onset of modernity by diverting resources from manufacturing to Europe s booming agricultural sector. c. The Agricultural Revolution, by itself, did not bring about modernity. However, the Agricultural Revolution was a necessary condition for the advent of modernity. d. The Agricultural Revolution is the 2 nd cousin of Modernity and also Modernity s stepbrother because of inbreeding. 12. How is the Agricultural Revolution likely related to the Industrial Revolution? a. Prior to the Agricultural Revolution, the vast majority of humanity s productive effort was needed just to produce the necessities, especially food. A revolution in agriculture was necessary to free up labor for other uses. b. The fact that the Agricultural Revolution started a century so before the Industrial Revolution appears to be coincidence rather than causation. c. The timing of both revolutions suggests that it was the (earlier) Industrial Revolution that led to the (later) Agricultural Revolution. 3

4 13. Look at table 6.2 of the Agriculture chapter. Which 2 countries had the highest agricultural productivity over the period of 1600 to 1800? Check 2 blanks below. Austria Belgium England France Germany Italy Netherlands Poland Spain 14. Once again, look at table 6.2 of the Agriculture chapter. Which 1 country had the highest relative gain (% increase) between 1600 and 1750? Check 1 blank below. Austria Belgium England France Germany Italy Netherlands Poland Spain 15. Which country is generally considered to be the 1 st nation to industrialize? Check 1 blank below. Austria Belgium England France Germany Italy Netherlands Poland Spain 16. Which graph below is likely that of The % of England Workforce Employed in Agriculture from 1300 to 1850? a. Oh pooh! Once again, there are no multiple choice options. What should I know? If you know what s listed below (b through e), you will be more than fine. b. Know roughly what % the Ag work force is at the start (1300). c. The decrease doesn t really start until about 1550 or d. It hits 50% around. e. By 1850 it s just under 20%. 17. What is meant by Enclosure? d. Bibbidy-Bobbidy-Boo. 18. How did Enclosure and privatization of land affect the Agricultural Revolution? d. Hoosker-doody-doo. 19. When was trade the most free (from political barriers) in Europe? a. roughly 1688 to 1740 b. roughly 1740 to 1783 c. roughly 1763 to 1815 d. roughly 1816 to 1900 e. roughly 1885 to 1914 f. roughly 1914 to

5 20. Indicate what crops would be grown using a typical 3 course rotation and a typical 4 course rotation. i.e. Fill in the tables below based on what was taught in our readings and lecture. 3 Course Rotation 4 Course Rotation Field 1 Field 2 Field 3 Field 1 Field 2 Field 3 Field What were some of the benefits of incorporating turnips into a crop rotation? Check any and all that apply. Turnips are nitrogen fixers. They take nitrogen from the air and fix it into the soil. Turnips are high in sugar. They are almost as good as sugar cane when it comes to making sugar. Turnips can be eaten by both humans and livestock. Turnips are the main source of the saltpeter (Potassium Nitrate) needed for gunpowder. Turnips are the main source of both red dye and purple dye (for clothing). 22. Assume an English farmer in the year 1740 has 200 acres of land. Which crop rotation will give him the most production on a sustainable basis? a. the 3 course rotation b. the 4 course rotation c. the Nae-Nae rotation d. the Crank-That rotation e. the Stanky leg rotation f. the Krumpin rotation 23. How and why is Jethro Tull a part of the Agricultural Revolution? What did Jethro Tull do to advance agricultural productivity? d. Scooby-dooby-doo. 24. What was McCormick s Reaper? d. Mr. Magoo. 25. What does a mechanical wheat thresher and winnower do? a. Remove weeds from around the wheat stalk b. Plant the wheat c. Grind the wheat seed d. Cut the wheat e. Separate the wheat seed from its hull (i.e. chaff) and the rest of the stalk 5

6 26. How was wheat threshed before the invention of the mechanical thresher? d. Yoda went to the Dark Side. 27. Roughly when did steam powered tractors begin to be used on farms? a b c d e f g h i Which of the following scholars are famous for studying changes in English land ownership from the end of the Middle Ages until the 19 th century (1800 s)? Check 2, and only 2, names. I will list both the first and last name, but you only have to know the last name. I will not list two people with the same last name. Name 1 Name 2 Name 3 Name 4 Name 5 Name 6 Name 7 Name 8 Name Match each country or region with the best description of their agricultural system. The first one has been done for you. Region and Time Hogwarts Academy of Wizardry, ca England ca France ca Much of Western Europe during the late Middle Ages (ca. 1250) Description a. Pamona Sprout, assisted by Hagred, grow some wicked cool weed on a small plot of school property using magic and a special potion. No one is sure who owns the land because the Harry Potter series doesn t tell us. b. A description of land use and ownership during the Middle Ages goes here. The keys characteristics involve whether the land is commonly used, the size of the plots, and what types of payments (wages, rents, obligations such as labor) are made. c. A description of typical land use in England by 1770 goes here. d. A description of typical land use in France by 1770 goes here. e. A description of land use having little to do with the Middle Ages, or 18 th century England & France, goes here. f. Another bogus answer is here. 30. As the costs of transport fall, what happens to the nature of the trade (bulk v high value)? a. Bulky items will constitute a higher % of all items traded. High value per pound items will constitute a lower %. b. The % of items traded that are bulky or high value per pound will not change. The only change will be an increase in the total amount traded. c. The % of items traded that are bulky or high value per pound will not change. The only change will be a decrease in the total amount traded. d. Bulky items will constitute a lower % of all items traded. High value per pound items will constitute a higher %. 6