A hundred years before the glassworks at Nøstetangen started up, agriculture on Eiker was completely dominated by crown estates and noble estates, where the farmers were tenants. From the end of the 17th century, more and more Eiker farmers became freeholders, and by 1741 the old manors and estates had disintegrated - with one important exception: Fossesholm, which was still a large estate. The freeholder farmers struggled with debt, but also took advantage of the opportunities that came with the new times.