HIS109Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Plough, Horse Collar, Political Philosophy
Document Summary
Europe was based upon local organization depending on agriculture. There was no need to experiment with agricultural technologies because of declining population. Having access with different instruments and vehicles can lead to remarkable conclusions. The invention of a 3 eld instead of 2 eld system (agriculture) led to the increase of production. A common fertilization technique for farming in the middle ages was called marling. For marling, farmers spread clay containing lime carbonate onto their soil. This process restored the nutrients needed to grow crops. Farmers also used manure as fertilizer, which they got from the livestock they raised. There were technological changed going on including the creation of the heavy wheel plough. The invention of the heavy plough made it possible to harness areas with clay soil, and clay soil was more fertile than the lighter soil types. This led to prosperity and literally created a breeding ground for economic growth and cities especially in.
