88 ENCLOSURES OF THE EIGHTEENTH 



other counties the higher rents were met by the adoptioi 

 of more scientific methods and by increased production. 1 

 )(The less gross production, he continues to argue, whicl 

 was the general result of enclosure, coupled with tht 

 increase of population especially the growth of London, 

 as the century wore on, caused prices to rise. This led to 

 further enclosures, more especially of the waste. Then 

 came the industrial revolution, during the last half of the 

 eighteenth century. The population rapidly increased ; 

 England ceased to export corn, the prices at home rose v 

 This demanded further enclosure of the waste, and the 

 more intensive and scientific cultivation of arable land, 

 which now began to be adopted at the expense of pasture, 

 and the movement culminated in the times of the Great 

 War and the years that followed. 



* The desire for enclosure was not, however, confined to 

 the large landowners who looked for higher rent. The 

 clergyman would benefit by an enclosure of the waste, for 

 arable purposes at least, for that would increase his tithe, 

 and the capitalist farmer, whether lie tilled his own land 

 or not, wished for a larger farm. This he obtained from 

 his share of the waste if he were an owner, and if not, by 

 renting more land. In either case he was anxious to get 

 rid of the common field and waste. The waste, because his 

 rights thereon were of little value when shared with many 

 others ; the common field, because the commonable rights 

 interfered with his desire to consolidate and to introduce 

 more skilful methods of cultivation. Lastly, the statesman 

 approved of the raising of rents, since the amount to be 

 derived from taxation of the landed classes might in this 



1 Cf. especially the work of 'Turnip' Townshend, who, on retiring 

 from politics in 1730, devoted himself to the better cultivation of 

 his land, more especially the introduction of a better system of 

 rotation by means of the turnip. 



