Revision:Persistence of the open-fields

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Uneven improvement agric. Due to open field system stopping diffusion new techniques innovations open field practices resolved the problems of farming scattered and intermingled plots abandonment of common plots rationally accounted for falling net benefit to farmers practices taken up or neglected in accordance to net benefit regression turned up no evidence that presence common pasture affected the rater of agricultural innovation only in 20th century that pace of technological change accelerated to the point where the field system began to be a significant constraint - farm lay out v. responsive market forces.

Gradual economic growth France cf. Britain’s lower pace structural change allowed rental market to adjust farm size and layout without recourse to legislation Rosenthal thinks revolution lowers cost of this because of salaried officials possible explanation growth productivity after revolution

Agricultural demand and economic conjuncture

Long period of depressed grain prices after 1670 depressed agricultural investment Ruttan thinks 19th century slump prices depressed productivity lessening incentive to invest Grantham northern France causing problems with lack of demand the relation between total factor productivity and demand appears to be fundamental high demand prices for produce encourage farmers to engage in more intensive methods of cultivation presence of strong demand carried farmers over the threshold of profitability diffusion intensive husbandry in Northern France was sensitive to price meat and dairy products.

Grantham argues that spatially focuses external economies in trade and manufacturing - AP highest around cities and other foci of concentrated demand high demand for foodstuffs from high incomes of city residents stemmed from high productivity, high urban productivity consequence of market externalities spatial concentrations of skilled labour and other specialized inputs development concentrated opulations may account for parallel development of highly productive farms urbanization NOT constrained by food supply simulations 45 KM radius suggests could feed up to 300,.000

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