In the early modern period, English agriculture passed through a series of changes which led to higher productivity per unit of labour, increased yields, lower share of the workforce involved in agriculture and faster advancement than in other countries.
Increased productivity in agriculture implies greater growth in urbanisation rates. This is proven by historical data referring to the differential of change in urbanisation rate between 1500 and 1800. The urban population of England increased almost 7-fold, while average Western Europe urbanisation rate only doubled.
Additionally, in that period workforce involved in agriculture dropped from 75% to 43% in England, while in France and Germany dropped from 75% to 61-64%. Because of the relation between productivity and urbanisation, England is the leader in terms of the agricultural productivity, with levels twice as high as those in Europe.
It is evident that the most important factors in the process are increased productivity on farms and the growth of urban population. However; a question is: which one
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The first question is examined by both arguments and it is supported that growth of cities pushed agriculture forward stronger than did the process of enclosure. The answer to this question also explains why England agriculture was growing fastest; because it traded most and its population was fastest expanding. Intrinsic factors were also crucial for the growth of agriculture, but they were not main catalysts in making England outpace others. Elements which are main constituents of growth of productivity are convertible husbandry, better seeds, superior animals and new crops constituting as proven roughly 85%, depending on the area, of the growth and thus taking a more important position than