Jethro Tull (agriculturist): Difference between revisions

Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Born	Henry Jethro William Tull; 30 March 1674; Basildon, Berkshire, England
Died	21 February 1740 (aged 65); Hungerford, Berkshire, England
Resting place	St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Basildon, Berkshire, England
Nationality	English
Known for	Agricultural reforms and inventions
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)

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Jethro Tull (30 March 1674 – 21 February 1741) was an English agricultural pioneer who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution. He perfected a horse-drawn seed drill in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows, and later a horse-drawn hoe. Tull's methods were adopted by many large landowners, and they helped form the basis of modern agriculture.

Early life

Tull was born in Basildon, Berkshire, to Jethro Tull, Sr. and Dorothy Buckridge, and baptised there on 30 March 1674.^[1] He grew up in Bradfield, Berkshire and matriculated at St John's College, Oxford at the age of 17, but appears not to have taken a degree. He was later educated at Gray's Inn.

He married Susannah Smith of Burton Dassett, Warwickshire. They settled on his father's farm at Howbery where they were increased by a son and two daughters.

Tull became ill with a pulmonary disorder, and as he went in a search for a cure he travelled Europe he found himself 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.

Inventions

Jethro Tull innovated with the seed drill, a device for sowing seeds effectively, in order to implement his ideas on how to sow sainfoin. Such a device had been suggested by John Worlidge, by 1699, but there is no evidence that he had built a drill. Tull's machine was probably used by 1701.^[2]

Tull also advocated the use of horses instead of oxen and 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 fertilizer 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.

Death

Tull died at Prosperous Farm at Hungerford and is buried in the churchyard of St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Basildon, both in Berkshire.

References

^ Ancestry of Jethro Tull compiled by William Addams Reitwiesner
^ Mingay, G. A. "Tull, Jethro". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/27812. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

External links

Royal Berkshire History: Jethro Tull
BBC History: Jethro Tull (1674–1741)
Blue plaque to Jethro Tull in Crowmarsh Gifford
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Horse-hoeing husbandry 4th ed., (1762) from John Adams' library, Internet Archive
Works by Jethro Tull in the Internet Archive

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[1] Ancestry of Jethro Tull compiled by William Addams Reitwiesner

[2] Mingay, G. A. "Tull, Jethro". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/27812. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

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-'''Jethro Tull''' (30 March 1674 – 21 February 1740) was an [[England|English]] [[Agriculture|agricultural]] pioneer who helped bring about the [[British Agricultural Revolution]]. He perfected a horse-drawn [[seed drill]] in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows, and later a horse-drawn [[Hoe_(tool)|hoe]]. Tull's methods were adopted by many large landowners, and they helped form the basis of modern agriculture.
+'''Jethro Tull''' (30 March 1674 – 21 February 1741) was an [[England|English]] [[Agriculture|agricultural]] pioneer who helped bring about the [[British Agricultural Revolution]]. He perfected a horse-drawn [[seed drill]] in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows, and later a horse-drawn [[Hoe_(tool)|hoe]]. Tull's methods were adopted by many large landowners, and they helped form the basis of modern agriculture.
 ==Early life==