How might reading a series of proverbs affect people

I would say that there is a possibility that people won't be able to relate to those proverbs, ans they come from a different time (silly example: proverbs that described weather in certain months become irrelevant with global warming!)

There is also a possibility that they would recognize something that is relevant to their lives, an advice, that they can use: this will they make them feel validated that they're not the first people to feel like this and that will help them consequently follow their plans. 

The changes to agriculture in the united states since 1900 is that increased mechanization has increased food production, thereby increasing the need for labor. there has been an increased need for higher speeds of food production due the fact that the population in the united states continues to rise.