History of population growth in Europe

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Reply to Roger from earlier post: Regarding Ash seeds. We have very heavy Emerald Ash Borer pressure here. If I plant ash trees it will be Manchurian Ash which co-evolved with EAB and has demonstrated field-resistance. Thanks a million for your kind offer.

A short-history on the population of Europe over time

Europe's population increased at an average rate of 0.2% a year between 1400 and 1600. At that rate, it takes about 350 years for the population to double. As a frame-of-reference, much of sub-Saharan Africa's population is increasing at 3% a year (25 years to double).

All population numbers are by-guess-and-by-golly as census taking was not a priority in the middle-ages.

The Black Death is credited with wiping out between 25% and 40% of the population.

Recovery was very slow due to high infant and maternal mortality. The population grew about 10% every fifty years.

Population flat-lined between 1600 and 1700 due to the Little Ice Age depressing agricultural production.

Introduction of corn (maize) and potatoes led to 100 years of impressive growth between 1700 and 1800.

The Industrial Revolution super-charged that growth. Something as simple as using a windmill to saw timber into lumber for ship-building had a huge impact on being able to harvest seafood and shipping salt for food preservation and guano for fertilizer.

In the north, the Hanseatic towns faced intensified competition from the Dutch, who from about 1580 introduced a new ship design (the fluitschip, a sturdy, cheaply built cargo vessel) and new techniques of shipbuilding, including wind-powered saws. Freight charges dropped and the size of the Dutch merchant marine soared; by the mid-17th century, it probably exceeded in number of vessels all the other mercantile fleets of Europe combined. The English competed for a share in the Baltic trade, though they long remained well behind the Dutch.    -Encyclopedia Britannica

 

Consider the amount of waste involved in using a froe or adz to create a plank out of a split log. Consider the amount of labor required to put two men in a saw-pit to hand-saw multiple planks out of a log. Further consider the metallurgy of the era, the saws were made of wrought iron and the teeth were stubby and quickly dulled.