Great changes occurred in agriculture, which made it more efficient but at the same time many people were forced to leave the land.

As a result of new farming methods fields where traditionally everyone in the community had been able to graze their animals were fenced off as private plots.

The arrival of the railways in the middle of the century meant that grain could be imported cheaply. As a result, farmers switched to more lucrative and less labour-intensive areas, like dairy farming. Thousands of landless labourers were forced to look for employment elsewhere, and migrated to the towns and their factories - or emigrated.

Around 1850 nearly 60% of the Swiss population worked in agriculture, but by 1888 the figure had fallen to 36% and by 1914 it was 25%. Only Britain had a lower proportion of agricultural workers.