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Nature or Nurture? Explaining English Wheat Yields in the Industrial Revolution, c.1770

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  • BRUNT, LIAM

Abstract

This article presents the first agricultural production function for the eighteenth century, thereby quantifying the effect of many new technologies coming on stream in English agriculture. It shows that some traditional technologies were effective in raising wheat yields, such as drainage and marling; but some innovations of the eighteenth century were much more effective, particularly turnips and seed drills. Environmental factors are incorporated into the model. Climate is shown to be a crucial factor in determining yields but soil quality was much less important. This undermines the accepted argument that England's success was due to a superior natural endowment.

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  • Brunt, Liam, 2004. "Nature or Nurture? Explaining English Wheat Yields in the Industrial Revolution, c.1770," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 64(1), pages 193-225, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:64:y:2004:i:01:p:193-225_00
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    Cited by:

    1. James B. Ang & Rajabrata Banerjee & Jakob B. Madsen, 2013. "Innovation and Productivity Advances in British Agriculture: 1620–1850," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 80(1), pages 162-186, July.
    2. Brunt, Liam, 2015. "Weather shocks and English wheat yields, 1690–1871," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 50-58.
    3. Finn Hedefalk & Luciana Quaranta & Tommy Bengtsson, 2017. "Unequal lands: Soil type, nutrition, and child mortality in southern Sweden, 1850-1914," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(36), pages 1039-1080.
    4. Hedefalk, Finn & Quaranta, Luciana & Bengtsson, Tommy, 2016. "Unequal lands: Soil type, nutrition and child mortality in southern Sweden, 1850-1914," Lund Papers in Economic History 148, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    5. David Stead, 2004. "Risk and risk management in English agriculture, c. 1750–1850," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 57(2), pages 334-361, May.
    6. José Luis Martínez-González & Jordi Suriñach & Gabriel Jover & Javier Martín-Vide & Mariano Barriendos-Vallvé & Enric Tello, 2020. "Assessing climate impacts on English economic growth (1645–1740): an econometric approach," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 233-249, May.
    7. Santiago-Caballero, Carlos, 2012. "Explaining wheat yields in eighteenth-century Spain," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH wp12-05, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    8. Fredrik Charpentier Ljungqvist & Andrea Seim & Heli Huhtamaa, 2021. "Climate and society in European history," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(2), March.
    9. Chambru, Cédric, 2020. "Weather shocks, poverty and crime in 18th-century Savoy," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    10. José L. Martínes-González, 2015. "Did Climate Change Influence English Agricultural Development? (1645-1740)," Working Papers 0075, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).

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