The Evolution of Farming in Burgundy, 1700-1840: Innovation and Growth (Boydell Studies in Rural History)

Traces the development of farming in the Burgundian flatlands of eastern France, looking at agricultural productivity, techniques, and the agronomic thinking of ordinary farmers. How did French farmers feed a third more people at the end than at the beginning of the eighteenth century?While historians have demonstrated that a few areas of large farms in the fertile plains of northern France increased their level of production considerably, the idea that regions of small farms saw little improvement because peasants resisted innovation and prioritized subsistence over profit remains influential.This book, however, argues that, in responding to favorable prices and improved export opportunities, small peasant farmers brought about substantial production increases, with 1740-80 being a key period for growth. Based on a novel source - probate auctions of standing grain - it shows that crop yields increased by about 50 per cent, while total grain production increased even more due to the pl