Jethro Tull (agriculturist)

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Jethro Tull

Born 30 March 1674
Basildon, Berkshire, England
Died February 21, 1741 (aged 67)
Shalbourne, Berkshire, England
Burial place St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Basildon, Berkshire, England
Residence Berkshire, England
Nationality English
Known for Agricultural reforms

Jethro Tull (30 March 1674 – 21 February 1741), was an English agricultural pioneer during the period before the Industrial Revolution and the Agricultural Revolution.

Tull was born in Basildon, Berkshire to Diana Buckridge and Jethro Tull and baptised there on March 30 [1]. He matriculated at St John's College, Oxford at the age of 17 but appears to have not taken a degree. He was later educated at Gray's Inn.

He became sick with a pulmonary disorder, and as he went in a search for a cure he travelled Europe seeking more knowledge of agriculture. Influenced by the early Age of Enlightenment, he is considered to be one of the early proponents of a scientific (and especially empirical) approach to agriculture. He helped transform agricultural practices by inventing or improving numerous implements, the most notable being the seed drill, which he invented in 1701 while living in Crowmarsh Gifford.

Before the seed drill was introduced, seeds were sown simply by being cast upon the ground, to germinate (or fail to germinate) where they landed. The seed drill significantly improved this process, by creating a hole of specific depth, dropping in a seed, and covering it over, three rows at a time. The result was an increased rate of germination, and a much-improved crop yield (up to eight times [2]).

Tull also advocated the use of horses over oxen, invented a horse-drawn hoe for clearing weeds, and made changes to the design of the plough which are still visible in modern versions. His interest in ploughing derived from his interest in weed control, and his belief that fertilizing was unnecessary, on the basis that nutrients locked up in soil could be released through pulverization. Although he was incorrect in his belief that plants obtained nourishment exclusively from such nutrients, he was aware that horse manure carried weed seeds, and hoped to avoid using it as fertilizer by pulverizing the soil to enhance the availability of plant nutrients.

Tull's inventions were sometimes considered controversial and were not widely adopted for many years. However, on the whole he introduced innovations which contributed to the foundation of productive modern agriculture.

Drilling seeds had benefits to weed control. It is vastly easier, faster and more effective to hoe down a set of drills. Later horse-drawn steerage hoes were used to run down the length of the drill. Good weed control is vital to yields and food safety and is laborious to do by hand.

Tull published his famous book, The New Horse-Houghing [Horse-Hoeing] Husbandry, c.1731, with the sub-title "an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Nutrition"

Tull died in Shalbourne, Berkshire (now Wiltshire), and is buried in the churchyard of St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Basildon, Berkshire.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ancestry of Jethro Tull compiled by William Addams Reitwiesner
  2. ^ The story of wheat | Ears of plenty | Economist.com Paid subscription required

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Tull, Jethro
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION
DATE OF BIRTH 1674
PLACE OF BIRTH Basildon, Berkshire, England
DATE OF DEATH 1741-02-21
PLACE OF DEATH Shalbourne, Berkshire, England