The growth of arable acreage slowed from the 1830s .
The growth of arable acreage went into reverse from the 1870s in the face of cheaper grain imports , and wheat acreage nearly halved from 1870 to 1900 .
The growth of arable acreage slowed from the 1830s and went into reverse from the 1870s in the face of cheaper grain imports , and wheat acreage nearly halved from 1870 to 1900 .