Why was the three-field system so important?

Answer 1

the three field rotation system worked as a farmer will have three fields and say they put wheat in one and vegetables in another the field left over would be ploughed and left for the winter for the soil to rejuvenate and than the next winter another field would be left and so on.

Answer 2

Prior to the introduction of the three field system, a two field system was used. With the two field system, a field was plowed for a crop every other year, and was allowed to lie fallow on the off years. With the three field system, the fields were allowed to lie fallow every third year, and the crops were changed between crop years. The two field system had 50% of the fields productive at any time, but with the three field system, this was increased to 67%. The effect was to increase the area of land under cultivation by a third.

With the increase in the amount of land under cultivation, the farms could provide work for an increased number of farmers, and a larger agricultural surplus to feed people living in towns and cities.

There were other factors that also increased agricultural surpluses, including the inventions of the horse collar and the heavy plow. And the result of all of these is that the numbers of people who could devote time and energy to work other than agriculture was more than doubled.

Answer 3

Prior to the use of the three field system, there was a two field system used.

Under the three field system, a field was tilled and planted with a crop one year, tilled and plated with a different crop the next year, and allowed to lie fallow in the third year.

By contrast, the two field system had a field tilled one year and fallow the next.

The fallow field had a production value that was far lower than that of a tilled field, even if animals grazed on it, and for vegetable or grain crops is not considered productive at all.

So under the three field system, two thirds of the fields were producing, where under the two field system, only half of them were. Since two thirds is 133% of one half, this represented a 33% increase in the tilled land available.

The use of horse collars, horse shoes, and the heavy plow meant that a single horse could till far more land, and this meant that the increase in the available land did not require an increase in agricultural workers. This produced an increase in the food supply. And the increase in the food supply meant more people could live in towns and cities.

Answer 4

The three field system contributed to the increase in populations and numbers of towns and cities.

The three field system increased agricultural production in Western Europe. This lead to a situation in which a smaller number of farmers could feed a greater number of people, and this meant some of the farmers could get jobs in towns and cities. The growth of towns and cities lead, in turn, to an increase in industry and trade.

Answer 5

This system allowed the multiplications of harvests.

Answer 6

It allowed peasants to produce more crops