crofting vs improvement

crofting

noun
  • A form of land tenure and small-scale food production, unique to the Highlands and islands of Scotland, in which individual crofts are established on the better land while a large area of poor-quality hill ground is shared by all the crofters of the township for grazing. 

  • The process of exposing linen to the sun, on the grass, in the process of bleaching. 

improvement

noun
  • Valuable additions or betterments, for example buildings, clearings, drains, fences, etc., on premises. 

  • Increase; growth; progress; advance. 

  • The act of improving; advancement or growth; a bettering 

  • Something which is improved 

  • A useful addition to, or modification of, a machine, manufacture, or composition. 

  • The state of being improved; betterment; advance 

  • The act of making profitable use or application of anything, or the state of being profitably employed; practical application, for example of a doctrine, principle, or theory, stated in a discourse. 

How often have the words crofting and improvement occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )