The underdraining of farmland in England during the nineteenth century
- Author/Creator:
- Phillips, A. D. M., author
- Publication/Creation:
- Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1989
- Resource Type:
- Book
More Details
Additional/Related Title Information
- Full Title:
- The underdraining of farmland in England during the nineteenth century / A.D.M. Phillips
- Series Titles:
- Cambridge studies in historical geography ; 15
Cambridge studies in historical geography ; 15.
Subjects/Genre
- Genre:
- Electronic books
- Subjects:
- Drainage--Economic aspects--England--History--19th century
Agriculture--Economic aspects--England--History--19th century
Farms--England--History--19th century
Description/Summary
- Summary:
- Underdraining has been recognized as one of the major capital-intensive agricultural improvements of the nineteenth century. Over half the agricultural area of England is subject to waterlogging and is in need of some form of underdraining, rendering the improvement both technically and economically basic to much of English agriculture. By removing excess soil water, the object of underdraining was to reproduce as far as possible the conditions of free-draining land, which was workable all year round, and to create an optimum soil-moisture content for both plant growth and cultivation. Despite the necessity for the improvement, a wide-ranging debate exists in the literature on the extent, effectiveness and agricultural importance of underdraining in the nineteenth century. The present study attempts to resolve this debate. By examining the evidence of draining loans under the Public Money Draining Acts and of the various land improvement companies and the accounts of estates in Devon, Northamptonshire and Northumberland, a precise record has been provided for the, first of the spread of underdraining in England in the nineteenth century, of the factors involved in its adoption and of its impact on agricultural practice in that period.
- Language:
- English
- Physical Type/Description:
- 1 online resource (xv, 315 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)
- General Note:
- Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).
- Local Note:
- Available to current Emory faculty, students and staff.
Additional Identifiers
- Catalog ID (MMSID):
- 9937691032702486
- ISBN:
- 9780511735523
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