Top: Science: Agriculture

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[ history ]

General Information

Agriculture is the science of land cultivation and the farming of crops, livestock and fish, usually with the ultimate aim of producing food. Other things that can be farmed include oil, leather, garden plants, drugs, chemicals and fuels.

There are two main forms of agriculture. Subsistence agriculture involves providing the needed food for a single family and is used in developing nations where the barter trading system is still frequently used. In developed nations and many developing nations farmers provide enough to make a profit to pay for other consumer needs and wants, in a trading system of specialisation. This is known as animal husbandry and forms the agricultural industry in business.


[ history ]

History

Agriculture and farming began in Middle-eastern countries in 9000 BC. From their it spread to Asia and Africa, and then slowly it became common around the world.

However, in the 1600's farming began taking on a new look. Demand started for tea, coffee beans, rice and drinking chocolate. At the same time new and successful inventions were finding their ways onto farms, giving farm workers less work to do.

When Jethro Tull invented the mechanical seed-drill in 1701 it began an era of successful inventions including the threshing machine, the cotton gin, the reaping machine, and, of course, the combine harvester.



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