Observing what happened inside the enclosures makes it possible to measure the advances experienced in production methods. The social cost of the operation was borne by the humblest classes, but the concentration of rural property was a factor of growth in productivity. In the large estates of Norfolk appeared the innovations that would shape English agriculture. The set of techniques experimented in that region in the mid-eighteenth century has even been named the “Norfolk system.” Lord Townshend was one of its first promoters, inspired by certain practices he had observed during his post as ambassador in Holland. He drained the soil, prepared it with marl and fertilizers, and carried out the first experiences of crop rotation in order to avoid soil exhaustion without resorting to fallowing. He also managed to cultivate artificial meadows, thus ensuring livestock feeding during winter.
Thanks to him, the value of land in Norfolk increased tenfold between 1730 and 1760. Lord Townshend inspired the English nobility, which became passionately interested in the development of agriculture. The figure of the gentleman farmer had just appeared. Coke of Holkham was another pioneer in agriculture, who for the first time used improved plowing instruments and introduced the system of long-term leases to encourage farmers’ interest by providing greater security. Bakewell undertook at the same time (1770–1790) the task of improving livestock breeding. The average weight of oxen sold at the Smithfield market was 370 pounds at the beginning of the seventeenth century and 800 pounds in 1795. Arthur Young contributed widely to the dissemination of new agricultural knowledge between 1767 and 1815. It is fully appropriate to speak of an “agricultural revolution” during the second half of the eighteenth century. Merchants from the City invested large sums in land purchases because the demand for food increased with the population. Finally, it should be noted that the price of wheat between 1760 and 1794 was about 30% higher than between 1720 and 1759.
It has been estimated that agricultural labor productivity increased by 90% between 1700 and 1800. The population employed in agriculture represented around 70% of the active population in 1700, compared with 37% in 1800. Between these two dates, the total population of England and Wales rose from 5,800,000 to 9,100,000. Agriculture produced more, and at a faster pace, while the quality of both animal and plant products improved. The spirit of innovation was not monopolized by industry. This agricultural progress enabled the growth of large urban centers by providing the necessary food for working populations; at the same time, agriculture benefited from the growing demand for its products and from industrialization in general. Here it is also necessary to mention the very important role played by the adaptation of transport during both the agricultural and industrial revolutions. The construction of roads and canals was one of the prerequisites for general economic development.