Jethro Tull Search Jethro Tull While a British rock band made his name famous nearly 300 years after his birth, Jethro Tull (1664 – 1741) was renowned in his own right as an agricultural pioneer and the inventor of the seed drill, the horse drawn hoe, and an improved plough, all major developments in the 18th century agricultural revolution. Share ASME getmedia/2702f163-bf53-4814-ae59-deb7203d1280/Jethro_Tull-History_of_Mechanical_Enginerring-60th.jpg.aspx?width=60&height=60&ext=.jpg While a British rock band made his name famous nearly 300 years after his birth, Jethro Tull (1664 – 1741) was renowned in his own right as an agricultural pioneer and the inventor of the seed drill, the horse drawn hoe, and an improved plough, all major developments in the 18th century agricultural revolution, a period marked by rapid advancements in agricultural productivity and developments in farming technology.

Tull was born in Basildon, Berskhire, England in 1664. He studied law and graduated from Oxford University in 1699. Although he was admitted to the bar in the same year, he never practiced law. Tull began farming on his father's land in 1700 and took great interest in agricultural processes. At the time, farmers typically planted crop seeds by carrying the seeds in a bag and walking up and down the field while randomly throwing or broadcasting the seed by hand on to the ploughed and harrowed ground. Tull deemed the method inefficient as the seed was not distributed evenly and much of it was wasted and did not take root. Jethro Tull's seed drill. In 1701, Tull developed a horse-drawn mechanical seed drill . The drill incorporated a rotating cylinder in which grooves were cut to allow seed to pass from a hopper above to a funnel below. The seeds were then directed into a channel dug by a plough at the front of the machine, and immediately covered by a harrow attached to the rear.

Planting the seeds at regular intervals, at a consistent depth, and in a straight line limited waste and dramatically increased harvest yields. According to Royal Berkshire History, Tull said of his invention, "It was named a drill because when farmers used to sow their beans and peas into channels or furrows by hand, they called that action drilling." Tull's improved drilling method allowed farmers to sow three rows of seeds simultaneously. Tull took further scientific interest in plant nourishment. He correctly theorized that plants should be more widely spaced and the soil around them thoroughly broken down during growth. He further theorized that plants surrounded by loose soil would grow better not only during sowing, but in the early stages of growth as well. Tull's theory, however, was based upon a fundamental error. He believed that the nourishment which the plant took from the earth was in the form of minute particles of soil. He did not believe that animal manure, which was commonly used as fertilizer, provided the plant with nourishment, but rather it provided a fermentative action in breaking up the soil particles. He saw no additional value in manure. He was highly criticized for this belief.

In 1709, he moved to a parcel of inherited land in Hungerford, called Prosperous Farm, where he continued his novel farming methods. In 1711, a pulmonary disorder sent him to Europe in search of treatment and a cure. While traveling, he noted the cultivation methods employed in the vineyards in the Languedoc area of France and in Italy, where it was usual practice to hoe the ground between the vines rather than manuring. On returning to Prosperous in 1714, he applied the same practice on his fields of grain and root crops. Tull's crops were sown in widely spaced rows to allow the horse, drawing the hoe, to walk without damaging the plants, while enabling tillage to the soil during most of the period of growth. This ongoing cultivation of the soil while the plant was growing was the central point of Tull's theory and the practice continues today. He believed that the cultivation of the soil released nutrients and reduced the need for manure. While apparently successful – he grew wheat in the same field for 13 successive years without manuring – some believe that is more likely that the technique succeeded because it simply prevented weeds from overcrowding and competing with the seed.

At the time, there was much skepticism toward Tull's ideas. His seed drill was not immediately popular in England, although it was quickly adopted by the colonists in New England. In 1731, Jethro Tull published "The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: or, an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation." The book caused great controversy and his theories fell into disrepute, particularly his opinion on the value of manure for plant growth. Although Tull laid the foundations for modern techniques of sowing and cultivation, a hundred years passed before his seed-drill displaced the ancient method of hand broadcasting the seed. While several other mechanical seed drills had also been invented, Tull's rotary system was a major influence on the agricultural revolution and its impact can still be seen in today's methods and machinery. His seed drill was improved in 1782 by adding gears to the distribution mechanism. Tull died in the village where he was born in Shalbourne, Berkshire, England, on February 21, 1741, at the age of 67. Tom Ricci is the owner of Ricci Communications.

Jethro Tull was renowned in his own right as an agricultural pioneer and the inventor of the seed drill, the horse drawn hoe, and an improved plough, all major developments in the 18th century agricultural revolution. Jethro Tull | British agronomist and inventor | Britannica.com British agronomist and inventor Josiah Wedgwood Jethro Tull, (born 1674, Basildon , Berkshire , Eng.—died Feb. 21, 1741, Prosperous Farm, near Hungerford, Berkshire), English agronomist, agriculturist, writer, and inventor whose ideas helped form the basis of modern British agriculture . Jethro Tull, detail of an oil painting by an unknown artist; in the collection of the Royal Society … BBC Hulton Picture Library Tull trained for the bar, to which he was called in 1699. But for the next 10 years he chose to operate his father’s farm in Oxfordshire, on which about 1701 he perfected a horse-drawn seed drill that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows. This was a notable advance over the usual practice of scattering the seeds by hand.

In 1709 Tull bought a farm of his own in Berkshire. While later traveling in France and Italy, he was impressed by the cultivation methods in use in the vineyards, wherein the rows of earth between the vines had been pulverized. This reduced the need for manure and increased aeration and the access of water to and from plant roots, though Tull mistakenly believed that earth was the food of plants and that pulverization made it easier for plants to absorb it. He developed a horse-drawn hoe and successfully adopted the vineyard method to his farm. His success led to the publication of his The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: Or an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation (1731). Tull’s methods were initially subjected to violent attack, but they were eventually adopted by the large landowners and laid the basis for more modern and efficient British farming.

Learn More in these related articles: About: Jethro Tull (agriculturist) About: Jethro Tull (agriculturist) An Entity of Type : person , from Named Graph : , within Data Space : dbpedia.org Jethro Tull (1674 – 21 February 1741, New Style) was an English agricultural pioneer from Berkshire who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution. He perfected a horse-drawn seed drill in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows. He later developed a horse-drawn hoe. Tull's methods were adopted by many great land owners and helped to provide the basis for modern agriculture.The 1970s progressive rock band Jethro Tull was named after him. Property abstract Jethro Tull (1674 – 21 February 1741, New Style) was an English agricultural pioneer from Berkshire who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution. He perfected a horse-drawn seed drill in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows. He later developed a horse-drawn hoe.

Tull's methods were adopted by many great land owners and helped to provide the basis for modern agriculture. The 1970s progressive rock band Jethro Tull was named after him. (en) Henry Jethro William Tull (getauft 30. März 1674 in Basildon, Berkshire; † 21. Februar 1741 in Shalbourne, Berkshire) war ein englischer Agrar-Pionier und wird als der Vater der Agrarwissenschaft erachtet. Er zeichnet für zahlreiche Verbesserungen auf diesem Gebiet verantwortlich. Im Besonderen ist hier die Sämaschine (engl. seed drill) (1708) zu nennen, durch deren Hilfe die Saat nicht mehr mit der Hand unregelmäßig über den Boden gestreut werden musste. Die Sämaschine öffnete ein Loch von voreingestellter Größe, legte ein Saatkorn hinein und verschloss das Loch. Es wurden drei Reihen auf einmal bearbeitet. Die Keimungsrate sowie der Ertrag wurden erhöht.

Tulls Kollege John Worlidge, der 1669 das Buch Systema Agriculturae verfasste, hatte bereits ein solches Gerät vorgeschlagen, ein Nachweis für den Bau während seiner Schaffensperiode kann aber nicht erbracht werden. Tull erfand außerdem eine von einem Pferd gezogene Hacke zum Jäten von Unkraut und brachte Änderungen in das Aussehen des Pflugs, die noch im modernen Design vorhanden sind. Sein Interesse am Pflügen stammte von seinem Kampf gegen Unkraut und seiner Überzeugung, dass Pflanzen ihre Nahrung ausschließlich aus den Mineralien des Bodens ziehen und dass organische Anreicherungen nicht nötig sind. Ihm war bekannt, dass Pferdemist Unkrautsaat enthält, und er hoffte, diesen als Dünger vermeiden zu können, indem er den Boden pulverisierte, um die Mineralien besser zugänglich zu machen. Seine Erfindungen sind Teil der Grundlagen moderner Landwirtschaft.

Zu seiner Zeit stießen seine Erfindungen auf wenig Verständnis und wurden erst viele Jahre später genutzt. Nach ihm wurde die Rockband Jethro Tull benannt. (de) Jethro Tull est un pionnier anglais en agronomie né le 30 mars 1674 à Basildon, Berkshire, et mort le 21 février 1741 à Shalbourne. Son nom a été repris par le groupe Jethro Tull. (fr) Jethro Tull (bautizado el 30 de marzo 1672, en Basildon, Berkshire-21 de febrero de 1741, en Shalbourne, Berkshire) fue un agrónomo inglés, inventor de una original máquina sembradora de tracción animal. Prototipo del «gentleman farmer» inglés, es considerado uno de los pioneros de la Revolución industrial y uno de los impulsores de la revolución agraria. (es) Jethro Tull (ur. 1674 w Basildon, Berkshire w Anglii, zm.

21 lutego 1741 w Shalbourne, Berkshire) – angielski agronom. Jeden z pionierów agronomii, przyczynił się do modernizacji uprawy roli i upowszechnienia oraz rozwoju narzędzi rolniczych. Skonstruował m.in. siewnik w 1701, pozwalający na zagłębianie nasion w ziemi na zadanej głębokości i sianie ich w rzędach. Wynalazł też konne narzędzie do plewienia chwastów. (pl) Jethro Tull (Basildon, Berkshire, 1674 - Shalbourne, Berkshire, 1741) foi um agricultor inglês pioneiro, considerado um dos pais da agricultura científica. Viveu no período da Revolução Industrial. Teve um papel fundamental no projeto de vários implementos que transformaram a agricultura, o mais notável deles a semeadeira mecânica em 1701.

Observou e comparou os métodos agrícolas empregados na França, Holanda e Alemanha. Foi um dos primeiros a conceber a moderna noção de cultura intensiva: recomendou o esterroamento e a lavra profundos, as rotações contínuas, que faziam a terra produzir, sem cansá-la, uma sucessão de colheitas variadas e supria o desperdício dos pousios. Homem de leis tornado gentleman farmer que se acreditava versado em progresso agrícola, chegou a proclamar a inutilidade do esterco e da rotação dos cultivos, mas preconizou o uso de semeadores, semeaduras em linha, economia de sementes, multiplicação dos trabalhos do solo e escarificações com enxada tracionada . (pt) Jethro Tull (Basildon, (gedoopt) 30 maart 1674 – Hungerford, 21 februari 1741) was een Engels landbouwwetenschapper voor de Industriële revolutie.

Hij wordt gezien als een van de eersten die de landbouw wetenschappelijk en empirisch benaderde. (nl) Дже́тро Талл (в устаревшей передаче Дже́тро Тулль; англ. Jethro Tull; крещён 30 марта 1674, Бэзилдон, Беркшир, Англия — 21 февраля 1741, Хангерфорд, Беркшир, Англия, Великобритания) — английский агротехник и изобретатель, один из первых научных теоретиков сельского хозяйства эпохи Просвещения, стоявший у истоков британской аграрной революции XVIII—XIX веков. Изобрёл рядо́вую сеялку на конной тяге, внёс изменения в конструкцию конной мотыги. Ратовал за введение «конно-мотыжного земледелия» (англ.

horse-hoeing husbandry), настаивая на необходимости посадки сельскохозяйственных культур ровными рядами, облегчающими мотыжную прополку сорняков. Инновации Талла постепенно распространились среди крупных английских землевладельцев, способствуя формированию технического фундамента современного сельского хозяйства. (ru) St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Basildon, Berkshire, England (en) Jethro Tull est un pionnier anglais en agronomie né le 30 mars 1674 à Basildon, Berkshire, et mort le 21 février 1741 à Shalbourne. Son nom a été repris par le groupe Jethro Tull.

(fr) Jethro Tull (bautizado el 30 de marzo 1672, en Basildon, Berkshire-21 de febrero de 1741, en Shalbourne, Berkshire) fue un agrónomo inglés, inventor de una original máquina sembradora de tracción animal. Prototipo del «gentleman farmer» inglés, es considerado uno de los pioneros de la Revolución industrial y uno de los impulsores de la revolución agraria. (es) Jethro Tull (Basildon, (gedoopt) 30 maart 1674 – Hungerford, 21 februari 1741) was een Engels landbouwwetenschapper voor de Industriële revolutie. Hij wordt gezien als een van de eersten die de landbouw wetenschappelijk en empirisch benaderde. (nl) Jethro Tull (1674 – 21 February 1741, New Style) was an English agricultural pioneer from Berkshire who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution.

He perfected a horse-drawn seed drill in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows. He later developed a horse-drawn hoe. Tull's methods were adopted by many great land owners and helped to provide the basis for modern agriculture.The 1970s progressive rock band Jethro Tull was named after him. (en) Henry Jethro William Tull (getauft 30. März 1674 in Basildon, Berkshire; † 21. Februar 1741 in Shalbourne, Berkshire) war ein englischer Agrar-Pionier und wird als der Vater der Agrarwissenschaft erachtet. Er zeichnet für zahlreiche Verbesserungen auf diesem Gebiet verantwortlich. Im Besonderen ist hier die Sämaschine (engl. seed drill) (1708) zu nennen, durch deren Hilfe die Saat nicht mehr mit der Hand unregelmäßig über den Boden gestreut werden musste. Die Sämaschine öffnete ein Loch von voreingestellter Größe, legte ein Saatkorn hinein und verschloss das Loch.

Es wurden drei Reihen auf einmal bearbeitet. Die Keimungsrate sowie der Ertrag wurden erhöht. Tulls Kollege John Worlidge, der 1669 das Buch Systema Agriculturae verfasste, hatte bereits ein solches Gerät vorgeschlagen, ein Nachw (de) Jethro Tull (ur. 1674 w Basildon, Berkshire w Anglii, zm. 21 lutego 1741 w Shalbourne, Berkshire) – angielski agronom.Jeden z pionierów agronomii, przyczynił się do modernizacji uprawy roli i upowszechnienia oraz rozwoju narzędzi rolniczych. Skonstruował m.in. siewnik w 1701, pozwalający na zagłębianie nasion w ziemi na zadanej głębokości i sianie ich w rzędach. Wynalazł też konne narzędzie do plewienia chwastów.

(pl) Jethro Tull (Basildon, Berkshire, 1674 - Shalbourne, Berkshire, 1741) foi um agricultor inglês pioneiro, considerado um dos pais da agricultura científica. Viveu no período da Revolução Industrial.Teve um papel fundamental no projeto de vários implementos que transformaram a agricultura, o mais notável deles a semeadeira mecânica em 1701. Observou e comparou os métodos agrícolas empregados na França, Holanda e Alemanha. Foi um dos primeiros a conceber a moderna noção de cultura intensiva: recomendou o esterroamento e a lavra profundos, as rotações contínuas, que faziam a terra produzir, sem cansá-la, uma sucessão de colheitas variadas e supria o desperdício dos pousios. (pt) Дже́тро Талл (в устаревшей передаче Дже́тро Тулль; англ.

Jethro Tull; крещён 30 марта 1674, Бэзилдон, Беркшир, Англия — 21 февраля 1741, Хангерфорд, Беркшир, Англия, Великобритания) — английский агротехник и изобретатель, один из первых научных теоретиков сельского хозяйства эпохи Просвещения, стоявший у истоков британской аграрной революции XVIII—XIX веков. Изобрёл рядо́вую сеялку на конной тяге, внёс изменения в конструкцию конной мотыги. (ru) Jethro Tull (agriculturist) - YouTube Jethro Tull (agriculturist) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now.

Please try again later. Published on Nov 21, 2015 Jethro Tull was an English agricultural pioneer from Berkshire who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution. He perfected a horse-drawn seed drill in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows. He later developed a horse-drawn hoe. Tull's methods were adopted by many great land owners and helped to provide the basis for modern agriculture. This revolutionized the future of agricultural success. The 1970s progressive rock band Jethro Tull was named after him. This video is targeted to blind users. Attribution: Article text available under CC-BY-SA Creative Commons image source in video Category The Open Door Web Site : History : The Agricultural Revolution : Jethro Tull and the Seed Drill TWO CENTURIES OF REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE Custom Search The Agricultural Revolution Jethro Tull and the Seed Drill Since earliest times seeds had always been sown by hand. People who worked on the land would walk over the fields randomly scattering handfuls of grain. Jethro Tull invented a machine which greatly helped to increase the harvest yield by planting seeds in straight lines.

Jethro Tull Jethro Tull was born in Basildon, Berkshire in 1674. He did not start out as an agricultural engineer. He studied law and graduated from Oxford University in 1699. Although he was admitted to the bar in the same year, he never practised law. Tull was far more interested in the farming methods employed on his land, which he called Prosperous Farm. Tull travelled throughout Europe to study new farming techniques. On his return to Prosperous Farm in 1701, he developed a horse-drawn mechanical Seed Drill. The Seed Drill not only planted seeds at regular intervals but also planted them at the right depth and covered them with earth. Because the seed drill planted seeds in straight lines, a mechanical horse-drawn hoe, which Tull also invented, could be used to remove weeds from between the lines of crop plants. Tull advocated the importance of pulverising (crumbling) the soil so that air and moisture could reach the roots of the crop plants. His horse-drawn hoe was able to do this. He also emphasised the importance of manure and of tilling the soil during the growing season.

At the time, Tull's ideas came under attack, mainly because they were new. His Seed Drill was not immediately popular in England, although it was quickly adopted by the New England colonists across the Atlantic. Horse-hoeing husbandry by Jethro Tull 4th edition, from 1762, plate IV In 1731, Tull wrote a book called "Horse-houghing (hoeing) Husbandry" which he revised in 1733. Although his Seed Drill was improved in 1782 by adding gears to the distribution mechanism, the rotary mechanism of the drill provided the foundation for all future sowing technology. The Open Door Web Site is non-profit making. Your donations help towards the cost of maintaining this free service on-line. Donate to the Open Door Web Site using PayPal The Open Door Team 2017 Any questions or problems regarding this site should be addressed to the webmaster © Shirley Burchill, Nigel Hughes, Richard Gale, Peter Price and Keith Woodall 2017 Footnote : As far as the Open Door team can ascertain the images shown on this page are in the Public Domain.

Jethro Tull and the Invention of the Seed Drill Jethro Tull and the Invention of the Seed Drill Jethro Tull and the Invention of the Seed Drill Hulton Archive / Getty Images Share By About.com Staff A farmer, writer, and inventor, Jethro Tull was an instrumental figure in English agriculture, pushing to improve age-old agrarian practices by applying science and technology. Early Life Born in 1674 to well-to-do parents, Tull grew up on the family’s Oxfordshire estate. After withdrawing from St. John’s College in Oxford, he moved to London where he studied the pipe organ before becoming a law student. In 1699, Tull qualified as a barrister, toured Europe and got married. Relocating with his bride to the family farm, Tull eschewed law to work the land. Inspired by agrarian practices he saw in Europe – including pulverized soil around evenly spaced plants—Tull was determined to experiment at home. The Seed Drill and Other Inventions Jethro Tull invented the seed drill in 1701 as a way to plant more efficiently.

Prior to his invention sowing seeds was done by hand, by scattering seeds on the ground. Tull considered this method wasteful since many seeds did not take root. continue reading below our video 5 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score Building the first prototype seed drill, Tull incorporated his musical knowledge, constructing the device with foot pedals from the organ of a local church. The finished drill—the first agriculture machine with moving parts—sowed seeds in uniform rows and covered up the seeds as well. Tull went on to make more “ground-breaking” inventions—literally. His horse-drawn hoe, or hoe-blow dug up the soil , loosing it for planting—which allows more moisture and air to reach plant roots—while also pulling up unwanted roots. He also invented a 4-bladed blow to cut even lines in the soil. These inventions were put to the test and Tull’s farm thrives. In 1731, the inventor and farmer published "The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: or, an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation." His book was met with opposition in some quarters, but eventually his ideas and practices won out.

Farming, thanks to Tull, had become a bit more rooted in science . In yet another sign of Tull's enduring legacy, the British rock group Jethro Tull took its name from this agricultural innovator. BBC - History - Historic Figures: Jethro Tull (1674 - 1741) Historic Figures z Jethro Tull © Tull was an agricultural pioneer and the inventor of the seed drill, a major development in the agricultural revolution. Jethro Tull was born in 1674 into a family of Berkshire gentry. He studied at Oxford University and Gray's Inn in preparation for a legal and political career, but ill health postponed these plans and, after his marriage in 1699, he began farming with his father. At the time, seeds were distributed into furrows ('drilling') by hand. Tull had noticed that traditional heavy sowing densities were not very efficient, so he instructed his staff to drill at very precise, low densities. By 1701, his frustration with their lack of cooperation prompted him to invent a machine to do the work for him. He designed his drill with a rotating cylinder.

Grooves were cut into the cylinder to allow seed to pass from the hopper above to a funnel below. They were then directed into a channel dug by a plough at the front of the machine, then immediately covered by a harrow attached to the rear. This limited the wastage of seeding and made the crop easier to weed. Initially the machine was only a limited success. In 1709, he moved to Prosperous Farm in Hungerford, and two years later decided to travel around Europe to improve his health and study agricultural techniques there. Upon his return in 1714, he perfected both his system and machinery. He pulverised the earth between the rows, believing that this released nutrients would act as a substitute for manure. While apparently successful - he grew wheat in the same field for 13 successive years without manuring - it is more likely that he merely prevented weeds from overcrowding and competing with the seed. Tull's other innovations included a plough with blades set in such a way that grass and roots were pulled up and left on the surface to dry. Eventually, as agricultural improvement became fashionable, more interest began to be taken in Tull's ideas.

In 1731, he published his book, 'The New Horse Hoeing Husbandry', detailing his system and its machinery. It caused great controversy at the time, and arguments continued for another century before his eventual vindication. While several other mechanical seed drills had also been invented, Tull's complete system was a major influence on the agricultural revolution and its impact can still be seen in today's methods and machinery. Tull died on 21 February 1741. Jethro Tull Facts LINK / CITE ADD TO WORD LIST Jethro Tull Facts Jethro Tull (1674-1741) experimented with new farming techniques and invented mechanical agricultural equipment. He demonstrated on his farm near Hunger ford, England, that planting seeds in rows and tilling and hoeing increased production and profits. Hull wrote two editions of The Horse-Hoeing Husbandry, which spread his ideas to other farmers and contributed greatly to the Agricultural Revolution. Tull was born to Jethro and Dorothy Tull, in Basildon, Berkshire, England, and baptized there on March 30, 1674. He grew up on a country estate.

At the age of 17, he went to Oxford to study at St. John's College, but he left before graduating. While a student in London, Tull became a musician. He learned how to play the organ and understood how it operated mechanically—knowledge he would later apply to his seed-drill invention. In 1693 he became a law student at Gray's Inn and also studied for two years at Staple Inn. Tull qualified as a barrister in 1699, although he never practiced law. He had hoped to use his understanding of the legal system in government service, but ill health changed the course of his professional life. The year 1699 was an eventful one for Tull. Besides becoming a barrister, he made an unusually brief tour of the Continent (Europe) and married Sussanah Smith of Burton-Dassett, Warwickshire. A tour of the Continent was a requisite part of a wealthy young man's education at the time, most lasting around two years. Tull's tour was probably only four months long, yet it gave him a glimpse of agricultural practices outside England. After their marriage, Tull and his wife settled on his paternal farm.

They had one son and four daughters. Their son, John, pursued financial speculation as an adult and was incarcerated at Fleet Prison for debt. He died without heirs. Why Tull took up farming is uncertain. It may have been because he had inherited the family farm, because he had financial problems, or because of his ill health (he had a tubercular condition). What is certain is that it was not by choice. Yet, he made the best of his lot and became one of the originators of modern methods of farming. "In short, the whole concept of thorough tillage, row cropping, and keeping the soil surface as bare as possible emerged from the brain of Jethro Tull," summed up Bob Rodale in "The Regenerative Concept." Influence on Agricultural Revolution Around the time of Tull's birth, hunger was a persistent problem throughout Great Britain, so farmers began growing more crops and experimenting with manure and fertilizers to increase production and profits. These experiments, however, had to have been hindered by the open field system of landownership, which forced cooperation and adherence to traditional methods. For a thousand years, arable lands in England had been laid out in fields around villages.

Each landowner had narrow, long strips of land for planting that covered both the best and worst ground. Farmers agreed which strips were in production, which were fallow, and shared in the plowing. The Enclosure Movement plotted the common fields into privately held "enclosed" fields. Enclosure landowners received a piece of property in proportion to the amount they owned under the open field system. The larger fields enabled farmers to experiment with new, efficient methods and enticed the aristocracy to exploit estates with agricultural enterprises in the early years of the eighteenth century. Between 1700 and 1845, 6 million acres of English fields were enclosed as farm mechanization increased. When Tull began farming in 1700, he, too, was interested in improving production. But scientific knowledge of plant physiology was limited. Tull and his contemporaries believed that matter was composed of four elements— earth, air, fire, and water—and Tull extrapolated that plants assimilated nutrients by combining the elements.

According to the "Washington's Five Farms" web site, "Jethro Tull … believed that plants had tiny mouths on their roots which ate the foods in the soil." He thought plants absorbed and digested fine particles of earth, then discharged waste into the atmosphere. He called roots the stomach and intestines of plants; their leaves were lungs, and sap was blood. He did not think water formed any part of the food for plants. Tull had seen firsthand the importance of cultivation when he had visited the vineyards of France and Italy. The loosened soil permitted air and moisture to reach the roots of growing plants. Apparently, "Tull thought that perhaps loose soil fit better in the plants' 'mouths,"' speculated a writer for the "Washington's Five Farms" web site. Manures, Tull thought, helped feed plants because they assisted with the breakdown of earth particles. But he also thought manures affected the taste and composition of food and promoted weed growth. He advocated instead pulverizing the soil, planting with drills, and thorough tilling during the growing period to promote production.

Of necessity, Tull invented a seed-drill, four-coulter plow (one with four discs or knifelike projections), and horse-hoe to carry out his theories. The standard practice of the time was to broadcast (simply throw or spread) crop seeds and watch them sprout and grow along with weeds. Tull had the idea less seed would be needed and production would increase if crops were sown in rows that could be weeded. He hired workers to make furrows into which to sow and cover seeds, but they balked at trying a new sowing method. So Tull decided to build a machine to sow seeds as he wanted. Farmers from Babylon to China had used seeding devices for thousands of years. A setting-board with regularly spaced holes was devised in 1601. Planters used a dibble to make uniform holes in the soil to accept the seeds. In the late sixteenth century, Italian Taddeo Cavalini invented a mechanical seed-drill that he claimed could sow twice the area, using half the seed, and yield one-third more. Several Scots patented seed-drills in the early 1600s, but none were successful.

John Worlidge, an Englishman, designed a seed-drill and illustrated it in his 1699 book Systema Agriculture. Tull would admit at a later date that he was familiar with this work. The seed-drill Tull invented in 1701 has been called the first or earliest agricultural machine because it had internal moving parts. Its rotary mechanism was the foundation of all subsequent sowing implements. Tull's knowledge of the workings of the organ helped him with the machine's design, which he documented for prospective makers with a written description and five sketches. It is doubtful, however, he had the skills to actually build it. G. E. Fussell remarked in Jethro Tull: His Influence on Mechanized Agriculture that it is thought Tull's "drills were made by an ingenious cabinet-maker of Soho Square, and it is certain that men of that trade did make drills for inventors who followed Tull's path." Tull's seed-drill planted three rows simultaneously and incorporated three previously separate actions into one: drilling, sowing, and covering the seeds. A hopper dispensed seed into a box that dropped it in a regulated amount.

A harrow cut the drill (groove in the soil) for receiving the seed, and a plow turned over the soil to cover the sown seed. Tull experimented with the machine at Howberry Farm, Crowmarch, near Wallingford. As explained in "The Agricultural Revolution" web essay, "Experiments showed Tull that crops grew better if he periodically removed the weeds and broke up the soil between the rows of plants. Tull invented a horse-drawn cultivator to do this work." His horse-hoe or hoe-plow pulverized the soil, pulled up grass and roots, and left them to dry on the surface. He also invented a 4-coultered plow that made vertical cuts in the soil before the plowshare. By using his implements, Tull was able to produce good crops for several years in succession and reduced the need for fallowing. In an experiment at Prosperous Farm, he released moisture from springy soil on a hill by plowing across it—a process that is now called contour plowing. Tull's implements, necessary for his new system of farming, divided farmers into two groups: those set in their ways and those willing to experiment.

"From the very beginning there was antagonism to their use on the one hand, and great enthusiasm in their favour on the other. Tull's own labourers had forced him to design these things," pointed out Fussell. Other farmworkers were as reluctant as the inventor's own laborers to use implements. One nobleman landowner shamed his plowman into using a four-coultered plow after personally demonstrating how the thing was used. Despite resistance, use of the drill and hoeing increased steadily as machines improved. No agricultural censuses were taken in England before the 1860s and none of agricultural machinery before World War II, so it is impossible to say with certainty to what extent Tull's machines were made and used and his farming system adopted. What is certain is that by 1866 the seed-drill was one of the most common implements on English farms. Influence of Writings on Agriculture Tull's new farming system and implements were well known and supported by eminent men of his era. In 1729 a party of noblemen met with Tull and persuaded him to write a book about his agricultural experiments and the scientific reasons for his actions.

Tull had nearly 40 years of fieldwork behind him when he wrote The New Horse-Hoeing Husbandry; or, an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation. First published in 1731, it was greatly expanded for the next edition, published under a slightly altered title in 1733. Later it would be translated into French, Dutch, German, and other European languages. The book contains Tull's ideas on plant physiology and advice on plant culture. It also describes the three implements he invented. Although The Horse-Hoeing Husbandry books generated imitators, disciples, and other books based on Tull's practices, they also "aroused the most ferocious and unbridled criticism and were condemned in unmeasured terms as being rubbish," declared Fussell. Those embracing the Tullian system included members of the Society of Improvers in the Knowledge of Agriculture in Scotland. However, few landowners anywhere practiced the pure Tullian system. The Equivocal Society, which defended current agricultural practices, was one of the most adamant opponents of Tull's system.

Tull responded to the society's criticism by demeaning their system, calling it Virgilian husbandry; he thereby brought himself more denunciation. "At a time when classical learning was the foundation of all education, [Tull] provoked criticism of a formidable cast," observed Fussell. Georgica, written by Virgil, was considered the "apotheosis of agricultural wisdom" and above question. The debate over Tull's theories would go on for more than a century, and as late as the mid-nineteenth century treatises were being published on his principles. The influence of his ideas on farming—and production of a greater food supply when they were applied—was unmistakable. "Within 50 years [of the introduction of Tull's new farming system] the ability of farmers to assume a position of dominance over nature had increased dramatically," claimed Rodale. By the twentieth century, Tull's basic principles— tilled earth, inter-row cultivation, and mechanical drilling of seeds—had been generally adopted.

His system, noted Rodale, also "helped set the stage for the very serious problems [such as erosion and high energy use] that farming faces today," but "the brilliance of his thinking, and the creative way he engineered farm equipment encouraged at least 10 generations of successive agricultural researchers to merely improve and fine-tune his method, rather than to envision a whole new and more sustainable form of agriculture." Fussell defended the eighteenth-century agriculturalist by stating: "It was in the realm of practice, not in that of science, that Tull made his greatest contribution: his science was not learned until he had long used his practice and was limited to the state of knowledge in his day that led him into the errors which have been made a stick to beat him with by critics possessed of modern theories." Tull's poor health deteriorated as the controversy over his writings and farm system wore on. He died on February 21, 1741 at Prosperous Farm. He is buried at Basildon, where a memorial to him was erected at the local church in 1961.

Books Food Timeline: 1740 to 1749 - Events in Food History FOOD HISTORY TIMELINE 1740 to 1749 1740 Jacob Schweppe was born. A German watchmaker and amateur scientist. Developed the first practical and commercially successful process for producing carbonated mineral water. 1741 Jethro Tull died. He was an English agriculturalist and inventor whose ideas were instrumental in the development of modern English agriculture. One of his inventions was a horse drawn seed planting drill that sowed 3 even rows of seeds at once. (1701) 1741 Anders Celsius developed the Centigrade temperature scale. Originally he had the freezing point of water at 100 and the boiling point at 0. This was reversed after his death to match the other temperature scales. 1741 Jean Etienne Bore was born. The inventor of the sugar granulating process (1794 or 1795), founder of sugar industry in Louisiana. 1742 Benjamin Franklin invented the Franklin Stove. He purposely did not patent it, so that others could freely copy the design.

1742 A plague of grasshoppers destroyed crops in Pennsylvania. 1742 'The Compleat Housewife, or Accomplish'd Gentlewoman's Companion' is the first cookbook published in America (Williamsburg) 1744 Richard Lovell Edgeworth died. An Anglo-Irish inventor, among his many inventions and innovations were a turnip cutter, various improvements in agricultural machines, and a velocipede. 1744 Jean-Baptiste-Pierre-Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck was born. He was a French naturalist, and believed in the inheritance of acquired traits. Some of his ideas influenced Darwin. 1744 Anders Celsius died (born 1701). Swedish astronomer, he developed the temperature scale which bears his name (Celsius). 1745 The secret formula for Drambuie liqueur is supposedly given to the Mackinnon family by Prince Charles Edward. 1747 'Art of Cookery', by Hanna Glasse is published. 1747 The oldest cattle ranch in the US was started at Montauk on Long Island, New York. 1748 Antoine-Laurent de Jussieu was born.

A French botanist whose ideas formed the foundation of a natural plant classification system. 1748 Joseph Bramah was born. An English engineer, among his many inventions was a beer engine, used to deliver beer from keg to glass without artificial carbonation being added. 1749 Nicolas Appert was born. (The year is listed in various sources as 1749, 1750 and 1752; month and day also varies in October and November). Inventor of the canning process, preserving food by sealing it in sterilized containers. He published the results of 14 years of research in 1810 & received 12,000 franc award from French government. 1749 Sir Gilbert Blane was born. A Scottish physician, he served as Physician to the Fleet and head of the Navy Medical Board. He was largely responsible for requiring citrus juice (lemons, later limes) on all naval vessel to prevent scurvy, and improving the general health and sanitary conditions of sailors.

Question: Which English agriculturalist developed a horse-drawn seed drill in 1701?
Answer: Jethro Tull