@SarahTaber_bww would mention that agriculture has been uniquely resistant to innovations for thousands of years. The owners don’t care about the efficiency of the operation, and the slaves/peons don’t have any power. Or the “small farmer” has no capital, and is just burning time until they go bankrypt in a drought, blight, or injury.
This doesn’t match with what I’ve read by and about farmers, at least not in the place and time of interest (Britain and US, late 18C on). Farmers were quite interested in improving yields and efficiency. There were many journals devoted to it and many experimental machines and techniques being tried. Capital was a limitation, but many farmers had nonzero capital.
@SarahTaber_bww would mention that agriculture has been uniquely resistant to innovations for thousands of years. The owners don’t care about the efficiency of the operation, and the slaves/peons don’t have any power. Or the “small farmer” has no capital, and is just burning time until they go bankrypt in a drought, blight, or injury.
This doesn’t match with what I’ve read by and about farmers, at least not in the place and time of interest (Britain and US, late 18C on). Farmers were quite interested in improving yields and efficiency. There were many journals devoted to it and many experimental machines and techniques being tried. Capital was a limitation, but many farmers had nonzero capital.