Scottish agricultural implement makers

In 1952 the most frequently used implement to harvest the potato crop was the potato spinner which had been painted nearly a century earlier in 1855.

A number of the key makers of potato spinners from the 1860s and 1870s onwards in Scotland, also continued to make them in the early 1950s. They included J. Bisset & Sons Ltd, Blairgowrie, with its “Empire” digger, available for horse or tractor draught. A. Jack & Sons Ltd, Maybole, had its “Imperial” and “Caledonian” for horse draught. A. & W. Pollock, Machine, had “The Perfect” for horse or tractor draught. John Wallace & Sons Ltd, Glasgow, also had its machines.

In 1871 James Mollison, Ruthven, Alyth, Perthshire exhibited a spinner digger at the Highland Show held in Perth. It was recommended for trial, going on to win a medium silver medal. A decade later, he entered another potato digger for trial. By 1902, the year of his death, he was making an “improved potato digger”.

James Mollison was described as a “well-known figure to the older agriculturists of the county.” He was “born in the parish of Aberlemno some 74 years ago, where he received his schooling and served his apprenticeship. … He worked for some years with the late Mr balfour of Montpelier, also the late Mr Alexander Young, agricultural implement maker, Monifieth. Soon afterwards he accepted a situation in Sweden, which he occupied for some years. Returning to his native country, he was employed at Ruthann for some six months before he entered upon his life-long tenancy of nearly 50 years. Mr Mollison was widely known as a skilful agricultural implement-maker, excelling in the manufacture of ploughs, numbers of which he forwarded to Scotsman in foreign lands. About 1860 he began the manufacture of mowers, and his Isla reaper was favourably known over all the north-east of Scotland. His make of potato diggers was also largely used some years ago. Mr Mollison was predecease a twelvemonth ago by his wife, who was a daughter of the late Mr Lindsay, parochial schoolmaster, Ruthann, and is survived by an only daughter, Mrs George Doe, Errol, who has the sympathy of a large circle of friends in her sudden bereavement. Mr Mollison was an attached member of the Established Church, and for a long number of years affiliated as an elder in Ruthann Parish Church.” (Dundee Courier, 30 September 1902)

The name Cammo Foundry, Duns, will be well-know to some of the readers of this blog. It is a name that can still be seen around the rally field, for example at the Borders Rally and Scotland’s Farming Yesteryear.

Behind the foundry was the name of Thomas Brown & Sons which operated the foundry from at least the 1860s until the 1920s. It described itself as engineers, agricultural implement makers, millwrights, iron founders, mechanical engineers and wholesale ironmongers. Among its manufactures were reapers, mowers, mowing machines, turnip sowing machines, and turnip cutters. Ut was an irregular visitor to the Highland Show, favouring the meetings in Edinburgh, and the borders, for example at Melrose, Kelso and Hawick.

The company was renowned, being awarded a minor silver medal for its collection from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society in 1875. It was also an innovator, inventing a combined sugar beet and turnip seed sowing machine in 1926.

The head of the firm was Robert Brown. According to the North British Agriculturist in July 1893, “the firm of Messrs Thomas Brown & Sons, Cammo Foundry, Duns, Berwickshire, was established by the late Thomas Brown at Edington, near Berwick-on-Tweed, over forty years ago, who was well known as a plough maker all over the Borders. Ten years later, Mr Brown turned his attention to the making of reapers and mowers, and in this was eminently successful, for, so rapidly did he gain a reputation for the efficiency of his machines, that he found his premises inadequate for a growing trade, and consequently removed to Duns to more commodious premises, where he added to his establishment an iron and brass foundry for producing the castings required for the different implements. Here he carried on the business in partnership with his sons under the title of Thomas Brown & Sons. About ten years ago the firm gave their attention to engine building, turning out in large numbers useful vertical farm engines; and later, to threshing machines, which are now a special branch of their different manufacturers. The growth of their reputation in this department has been a rapid one, for the farming public have been early to recognise in their engines and threshing mills a superiority for efficiency and finish. Two years ago, Messrs Brown’ works were rebuilt with considerable additions, and have been fitted with the most modern iron and wood working machinery for rapid and accurate production. The late Mr Brown, the founder of the firm, who died nearly a year ago, was one of the earliest makers of reapers in this country, and with the stamp of the “Cammo” reaper and mower, his name will be honourably identified all over Scotland and the north of England. The firm is now carried on by the sons, who have been practically trained in all the branches of engineering; and Mr Robert Brown, the eldest son, whose likeness we reproduce, is at the head of the concern.”

A renowned Berwickshire maker that you can still his manufactures today!

The photographs were taken at Farming Yesteryear, September 2018.

The surveyor of the state of agriculture and rural economy of the county of Berwickshire for the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement in 1809 provided detailed accounts of the implements and machines developed and used in that county. His account of the threshing mills provides a range of insights into their use among the different social classes, the different types of mills and their history. He states:

“Threshing mills-Very few farms in this county, of any importance, are now without the almost indispensible accommodation of a thrashing mill, going by eater, wind, or horses. Of late, mention has been made of some driven by the power of steam, but they have not yet reached this county.
These machines are now so very universal, that, in a circle of three miles round the residence of the reporter, there are four going by water, four by wind, and ten that are driven by horses. Wind mills, which are very rare in Scotland, because streams are every where to be met with, sufficiient for the universal purpose of corn mills, are now becoming very numerous for thrashing, because streams can seldom be found that will serve for the purpose;a nd they are preferred to horse thrashing mills, especially on large farms, as not interfering with the regular labour. Water is unquestionably the best and most economical power, where it can be had. Of the stem power, for thrashing mills, having no experience whatever, the reporter can give no opinion or account.
Even many small farms have now got small thrashing mills, driven by one or two horses. But hitherto these have not been found to answer nearly so well in proportion, as larger ones, driven by four to six horses. A considerable velocity is required for clean thrashing, which can hardly be given in these small mills, and they require a great many more hands in proportion to attend them, than is required by the larger ones.
Not being the invention of this county, it does not seem necessary to enter into any minute account of their construction; which besides, would require very detailed description, assisted by numerous drawings, to render intelligible and useful. Several unsuccessful attempts were made, many years ago, to contrive a mechanical view of thrashing; but it seems now fully ascertained, that husbandry owes this most excellently efficient, and highly economical contrivance, to the late Mr Meikle, an ingenious mill-wright in Eat Lothian; who likewise introduced, many years ago, from Holland, the vertical mill for making pearl barley. For these services Mr Meikle never received any public reward; and did not even derive any material renumeration from the profits of his employment.
The history and progress of this invention certainly belongs to East Lothian; yet it may be proper to remarks that the late William Crow, esq, of nether Bytes in this county, constructed a working model of a thrashing mill, many years before the contrivance of Mr milk, but upon quite different principles. That by Mr Crow consisted of a series of flails or swipes moved by machinery; which was found tolerably efficient, but dangerous to approach, and very liable to break.
Several other attempts to thrash by machinery were made, in several other districts, both of England and Scotland.
Thrashing mills are very various in their powers and performances, from 12 or 18 bushels of grain in an hour, to 30 or even 60 bushels. All of them separate the grain from the straw, by means of two cylindrical rakes, which toss the straw in opposite directions, and finally deliver it into the straw barn; while the shaken out grain and chaff fall through grated hoppers, and pass through at least one winnowing machines, which separates the chaff. The chaff is blown out into a small separate apartment, allotted for its reception, and the grain is delivered into a room with a boarded floor. It is afterwards fully dressed up for market in that corn room, by a separate winnowing machine driven by hand, called manners, and by means of riddles, sieves and rees, to separate the light grain and small seeds from the good grain.
Small threshing mills, to be driven by one horse or two, have been made for from L15 to L30. But there are generally very imperfect instruments; and for the most part, wanting the necessary strength in the connection of their parts together, they soon work loose, and become altogether inefficient. A good, strong, and powerful machine, to go with four or six horses, may be constructed for from L60 to L80; besides the necessary additions to, and alterations of the barn, and the building for supporting the horse wheel; in all from L100 to L150. The building of a tower,the sails of the windmill, and the machinery connecting this with the thrashing mill, may occasion an additional expense of from L150 to L200. The expenses attending a water thrashing mill, as dependant upon a multiplicity of varying circumstances, cannot be averaged.
Many farmers have a pair of mill-stones connected with the machinery of their thrashing mills, for bruising corn or beans for horses, or for grinding for the uses of their families and servants; but this is considerably hampered by the circumstances of thirlage, already explained. To the thrashing mill, likewise, more especially when driven by wind or water, a straw cutting machine may be very advantageously connected.
Winnowing machines-The winnowing machine is in absolutely universal use, for dressing grain of all kinds; and is said to have been originally derived from Holland or Flanders, or according to some, from the East Indies or from China. In its origin, it was extremely simple, consisting only of a wheel with four sails or fans, of thin board or sheet iron, made to revolve with great rapidity in a close drum or chamber of the machine, so as to occasion a strong wind by a narrow aperture, through which the grain was made to fall gradually. This artificial wind blows the chaff and light grains behind the machine, and the good grain falls by its superior weight directly though the streams of air. It has been improved considerably, by the adapting of different wire sieves or riddles, shaken by the machinery; and the good grain now falls along a sloping harp or declivity of iron wires with small intervals, for separating small seeds.
After all, the industrious use of the riddle, is still indispensable, for perfect dressing; and the following is a general account of the whole progress of cleaning or dressing grain in the corn room. As it falls from the winnowing machine attached to the thrashing mill, into the corn room, it enters by two apertures one of which delivers the best grain,a nd the other the lighter; but from the rapid action of the mill, and the large quantities rushing at once through the stream of air in the attached winnowing machine, the separation is by no means perfect, and many broken straws and some chaff re intermixed with both. One or two women, according to the power of the thrashing mill, are stationed in the corn room to receive the grain, who riddle the two deliveries into separate heaps; all the refuse of the first being thrown to the second, and the refuse of the second being laid into a third heap.
The regular dressing is afterwards performed, when the hurry of thrashing is over; and the steps of this varies according to circumstances. The third heap is often first dressed in the winnowing machine; its best produce is issued into the second heap. The second heap is next dressed, often twice or three times, riddled each time, and its best produce thrown into the first original heap. This first, or best part of the grain is now dressed by the winnowing machine, once or oftener, it seems to require, riddling each time, and when considered enough, is measured up for market or use.
All the out-dressings are now carefully dressed again by themselves, as a kind of second, inferior, or lighter grain; and is either sold separately, reserved for family use, or give to the work horses. The final refuse is used for the poultry or pigs, or given to calves or young cattle, sometimes boiled.
A good winnowing machine, of the best construction, costs about seven guineas. it is driven by hand, and requires at least four persons to drive, feed, and riddle the grain. it might be very conveniently attached to the machinery of the thrashing mill, and driven by that power, which would save one persons wages: Yet in that way its motion could hardly admit of being regulated, according to circumstances, nearly so well as by hand.
Chaff cutters and bruisers-Neither of these implements are in anything like general use in this county, for bruising corn and beans. Chaff cuter, if though necessary, might be easily added in the same manner. Mr Fordyce of Ayton has a chaff-cuter upon one of the farms of his own possession, but has not hitherto been followed by the farmers; at least, so far as has come to the knowledge of the reporter,there are extremely few of these implements in this county.”

The photographs are from the Scottish National tractor show, September 2014.

Berwickshire was an important centre for the development of modern ploughs, i.e. iron ploughs. Their development in that county is described in the Board of Agriculture’s survey of agriculture of that county, published in 1809. It is worth quoting at length:

“The improved swing plough, having the beam secured by a chain, which carries back the draught almost to its body, with a curved mould board, and feathered sock, is almost usually used. This plough is believed to have come originally from Holland or Flanders into Yorkshire, where it is said to have been calculated the Dutch plough. On its first introduction into Scotland, it was known by the name of the Rotherham plough; and having been very materially improved by a plough wright from Berwickshire, named Small, it has long been very deservedly denominated from him “Small’s plough”.

This is a very simple and efficient implement, of cheap construction, light draught, and easy management. Its chief excellence is in the structure of the mould board, which is of cast iron formed upon a uniform model. The peculiar form of this is of extremely difficult description, so as to be intelligible, being composed of several curves which soften into each other. At its fore part it is and exceedingly sharp wedge, so as to insinuate between the wasteland and the plit, to furrow slice, with the least possible resistance; the wedge gradually widens to separate the plot effectually, and it spreads out considerably wider upwards, so as to turn over the plit. In these operations it is assisted by the featured sock, which cuts out the bottom of the plit at such depth as may be regulated by the muzzle. The muzzle, or bridge of the plough, is so contrived that it may be set to work deeper or shallower, according to the nature of the soil and the pleasure of the ploughman, and to take broader or narrower plots according to cirumstances. All the surfaces which come in to contact with the soil are cast metal, or iron, by which the facility of draught is greatly promoted.
It may be proper to give a short account of the introduction of this singularly useful and economical implement into Berwickshire, from whence it has been adopted into all the well cultivated districts of Scotland, and many part soft the north of England. About the year 1764 very little was known in Berwickshire respecting the principles of construction of wheel carriages, and still less of the mechanical principles of the plough, good ploughs and carts being then purchased from Northumberland. At this period James Small, then a young and ingenipus mechanic, who had spent some time in England for iprovement, returned to Berwickshire, his native county. His merit becoming soon known to John renton, eww of Lumberton, a zealous promoter of agricultural implements, that gentleman settled Small at Blackadder Mount, erected all the necessary buildings for smith and carpenters shops for carrying on the manufacture of ploughs, carts, and wagons on a considerable scale, and set him agoing with the indispensable assistance of cash and credit. Small continued for many years at this place in full employment, often employing 20 or more carpenters, and six or eight blacksmiths, constructing ploughs, carts, wagons, and other implements of husbandry, both for this county and other parts of Scotland, his ploughs especially being much admired and sought after, and continue unrivalled to the present times, though now constructed by an infinite number of plough wrights in all parts of the country. Besides the plough, Small made material improvements on the construction of harrows, rollers, and fanners, or winnowing machines.
The old Scots plough, with a straight timber mould board, of greatly more obtuse angle, with a pointed sock, and having a long cumbrous bean. was partially used only a few days ago, but is hardly now to be seen anywhere. Even those that were used of late years, were very much reduced in size and weight. and had their beams much shortened, so as to fit them for the two horse draught. Some old farmers preferred that plough for breaking up old grass land, provincially lee, as it set the pits more upon edge yuan could be done conveniently by Smalls plough, especially when the pits or furrow slices were made broad. But by taking a plit of moderate breadth, about equal to its depth, Smalls plough answers equally well for this purpose, and is much superior for all other work. Perhaps for breaking up coarse land, much encumbered with the roots of whins and broom, and with large stones, the Scots plough may, in some respects, be more eligible than Small’s. But for this purpose, whatever plough is used ought to be of uncommonly strong construction, so as to be able to encounter severe hardships without breaking.
In ploughing very strong clay soils, the first furrow for fallow, three horses are sometimes put to the plough, but very rarely. In this case, two horse go arrest as usual, and the third is yoked in length before the furrow or off side horse. For this purpose the horse tree is made of unequal arms, so that the single horse has an advantage lever to enable him to draw against the other two, which pull at the shorter arm of the swinging beam, or horse tree.

In driving the plough the ploughman, who of course walks between the two stilts, or plough handles, uses either whip reins, one to each horse on the opposite sides, or he has common long reins reaching to the stilts, and a single whip rein between the two horses. A driver is never to be seen with a plough throughout the whole county.
A plough having a mould board on each side, called the double mould board, is used for forming and splitting drills, and for earthing up rows of potatoes, turnips or beans. The construction of this plough is perfectly simple; and the mould boards are mere common deal boards, often fixed upon hinges so as to admit of being set wider or narrower, according to circumstances; and one of those boards, the near one side, is usually made to take off occasionally, for gathering the earth from the drills of potatoes, turnips, or beans, into the middle between the rows.
No trenching, draining, or road ploughs, nor any wheel ploughs, are at present used in this county. Many years ago the Norfolk wheel plough, and a Norfolk ploughman, were employed by the late Dr Hutton of Slighs-house, on the first introduction of the improved husbandry into Berwickshire; and were afterwards, both the plough and the individual labourer, used for some time by Mr Fordyce of Ayton. It was extremely impertinent to criticise an implement which the reporter has not seen at work, but he believes that it was not found universally applicable in grounds containing inequalities of surface, and numerous stones, both of which were apt to force it, by encountering the wheels, from its proper direction. Besides, he is apt to believe that the chief use of the wheels, in favourable soils, is to relieve the ploughman from attention and labour, by adding considerably to the draught of the horses.

The draining plough, or mole plough, was tried some years ago by Mr Fordyce of Ayton, and laid aside because, on the lands where he used it, there were so many stores under the surface, and so many tree roots, as to prevent it from answering the intended purpose. The reporter has seen very highly beneficial improvements from its use in Cambridgeshire; and has every reason to believe that it may one day become a most profitable implement in Berwickshire, more especially if used by means of a capstan, as now practised in some parts of England, by which the injury to the land, occasioned by the feet of the draught cattle, in the ordinary way, is entirely obviated.”

There is always a great display of grain handling and threshing at the Strathnairn Farmers’ Association working vintage rally and display.

Here are some photographs from this year’s display.

What implements and machines were used in Inverness-shire in 1808?

James Robertson, he author of the county agricultural survey of that that county provides a detailed account of these. It is worth quoting at length:

The implements of husbandry which are used by the inhabitants of any county, no less than the construction of their houses and the appearance of their ground, are characteristic of the progress which they have made in the knowledge of agriculture, and in their enjoyment of the comforts of life. These improvements are either simultaneous, or so nearly allied in respect of the principle to which they owe their origin, and the time in which they appear in any country, that they are universally found to exist together. Wherever we see farmers turning up the surface of the earth in a slovenly manner and employing uncouth and unhandy tools for providing their own food, whichis the first care of every living creature, we instantly conclude that they are far behind in the line of cultivation. But wherever any of these improvements have made considerable progress, the rest are not far behind.
The general aspect of the county under review, is very much diversified; the genius and industry of the people, and the instruments of their husbandry, are no les so. In some provinces, all the modern improvements invented to facilitate the labours of agriculture, and to beautify the appearance of their lands, are to be seen in the highest perfection; while in other places, no change has taken place in these respects for many generations.
In the islands and western parts of the county, the cas-chrom, or spade with the crooked handle, still retains its place in the operations of the rude agriculture there practised. This is a clumsy, heavy instrument, something in the form of a spade, and of great antiquity. The iron is triangular, resembling that used for casting turfs, having a strong and large socket for receiving a wooden handle, which is not straight, but shaped like two segments of a large circle, joned together and placed in opposite directions, like the figure in architecture, called an ogee.
At a little distance above the socket, the wooden handle has a peg or pin, fixed firmly, so as to answer the right foot, which is employed to is the hands and to give more power to the instrument, in being driven forward below the surface. From the construction of the case-chrom, it is evident that it does not go straight down into the ground as the garden spade: it penetrates more in a direction sloping forward, and requires two or three efforts before the soil is turned over; but when turned, there is more ground generally taken up than any other spade, now in use, could accomplish. The reason of its doing more execution is obvious, not only because of the breadth of the iron, but also because the lower part of the handle slopes nearly in a horizontal direction, to receive some of the tough spot to be turned over. The triangular point of the iron qualifies this instrument to enter easily among stones; and the coarseness of the surface, and thinness of soil, enable it to lay over a greater quantity of sod than any other instrument for digging, which is wrought by the foot, It was in great estimation with the common people, who were won’t to employ it even in fields, where the plough might act; but at present it is seldom used, except on ground with a rocky bottom, or on the shelves of rocks, where no plough can be used.
In the islands, the people are said still to use ploughs with one handle; for what reason, it is not easy to conjecture, because two handles give in all cases, more command in the direction of a plough, than one. I was informed that in lea or grass ground, where the case-chrom is to be used in digging the soil, they first of all fix an instrument like a coulter, in a frame of wood resembling a plough-beam, in which a horse is yoked, to cut the tough and matted surface into parallel lines, leaving the intermediate spaces of that breadth which the case-chrom can easily turned up. This kind of plough, if it can be called one, seems to be only subsidiary to the other instrument.
Harrows with wooden teeth, cart-wheels unshod with iron, and without bushes of cast metal to facilitate the motion, tumblers, currants or currachs, to carry home corn and hay, baskets for carrying out their dung, another kind of basket for carrying home peats, shades or sledges for particular carriages; and many other instruments of the same rude construction, continue to be used in many districts of this widely extended county. The principal recommendation of these uncouth instruments is, that some of them are well adapted to the state of the roads, or places in that country where there is no road at all; that others of them are cheap to poor people; and that the farmer himself can make and repair them at his own conveniency. At a distance from carpenters and smiths, every man must be frequently at a loss, who has not learned to be handy in the matters. To attempt in this place to describe such rude implements is unnecessary, as there is a hazard that the description might not be understood by those who had never sen them, and that in a few years it would be useless, as it is to be hoped, the objects described will exist no longer. Persons of curiosity are referred to the Survey of Perthshire, where some notice is taken of their construction and suitableness to the situation of certain countries, and to the condition and the manners of the inhabitants.
About 35 or 40 years ago, scarcely could a plough or cart-wright be found in all the county, to make the necessary farming utensils in a sufficient manner, or of a proper construction. In these circumstances, every person, who was emulous to improve his land, imported ploughs, carts, harrows, &c of an improved construction from London, or from the port of Leith. But as the demand for machines of a nicer form, and more substantial make, increased, several young men were induced to go from home, and serve apprenticeships with skilful masters; so that properly bred smiths and carpenters of all denominations are now settled in most of the low and central parts of the county. Owing to the want of proper wood and encouragement,a nd there being no demand in the Islands and Western Highlands, skilful artificers have hitherto declined to go thither.
There are ploughs of various constructions, but that generally used is the improved Scottish one, which is made in the county, of every size, and with or without mould boards of cast iron, according to the option of the employer. On gentlemen’s farms we find large harrows for breaking coarse ground, drill-barrows, rollers, banners, thrashing-machines, and carts of different constructions, with every other agricultural instrument employed by farmers in any part of Scotland. But very few of the common rank of tenantry, have shown an inclination to adopt the style of dressing their ground in a manner which renders these implements requisite.
The late Mr Davidson was the first to construct a thrashing-mill which was driven by horses. He imported all the parts of the machinery from Leith, and brought the tradesmen at the same time to join the parts together, and set the machine to work: Mr Forbes of Culloden, Mr Robertson of Inches, Governor Stuart at Fort George, Mr Grant at Rothiemurchus, Major Fraser of Mewton, Mr Anderson, minister at Kingussie, Mr Mitchell at Gordon-hall, and no doubt many other improvers in various parts of the county, have not only thrashing-machines, but many other implements of husbandry, which are used in the southern counties. Mr Young, formerly mentioned as having several Spanish sheep, showed me a machine in the form of a brake-harrow, drawn by one horse, with two handles, for cleaning couch-grass and other fibrous weeds from ploughed land. Its execution is very great, not only in cleaning but pulverising the soil, where the ground is level, and free of obstructions. machines are also made in the eastern districts of the country, for bruising the succulent tops of furze to make provender for horses, in seasons when the crop of grain is short, and straw and hay scanty. The year old shoots of this planet afford a convenient substitute at a small expense, which is at the same time rich and wholesome food. The common class of farmers, who have no machines for that purpose, beat these tops of furze with the flail; by which means their horses, it is said, with very little other subsistence, are enabled to carry on the labours of the spring.”

By comparison to other counties, James Robertson describes a very limited number of implements and machines. This was one of the counties where older and traditional implements were to the fore.

The photographs of the ploughs were taken at the Highland Folk Museum. The photographs of threshing were taken at the Strathnairn rally, September 2014.

Threshing mills started to become more widely available in Scotland in the later eighteenth century. By the early nineteenth century they had become more common among some of the social classes. How were they being adopted and used in some counties of Scotland?

The Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement provides some insights to the adoption of threshing mills in its county agricultural surveys, published between 1793 and 1817. The survey for the county of Fife provide an extensive account on threshing mills. It is repeated at length:

“Threshing mills, a late, but most important invention, are now very common in Fife, and their number is increasing every year. In almost every parish they have been erected, and in several parishes not less than 7 or 8 and are to be seen. In the whole county, the number may probably be nearly 300. They are of different constructions, and various powers: and since they were first introduced, have received very considerable and material improvements. Some are moved by water, when a convenient steam can be had; but the greatest number are wrought by horses. I know of none that do not require at least two horses. Some require four, and some six. They thrash from two to twelve bolls in the hour; and many of them, by connecting fanners and other pieces of machinery with the principal movement, are made not only to thrash, but also to clean, to riddle, and to sift at the same time.
Of the many excellent and effective machines of this kind to be found in the county, the one erected, some years ago, at Kilry, in the parish of Kinghorn, was reckoned, at the time of its erection, one of the most complete. It is moved by water, and is said to thrash and clear 12 bolls in the hour. Many people in the neighbourhood carry their grain to be thrashed there, which they get done for sixpence per boll. Combined with this, there is a corn mill, a barley mill, and a hoisting tackle, all moved by the same water wheel.
Since that period, a great many other thrashing mills of equal, and some of superior powers, have been erected in this county. There is a very powerful one at Pusk in the parish of Leuchars, which was erected by Mr Buchan the late tenant. And Mr Cheap of Rossie has erected one lately, which, in respect of the excellence of materials and workmanship, the convenience of the several arrangements connected with it, the extent of its powers, and completeness of execution, is equal, perhaps superior, to any in Fife.
The advantages of this invention to husbandry are great. It separates the grain from the straw more completely than flails can do. It performs the work in a shorter time; and requires fewer hands upon the whole. By thrashing wet grain quickly and completely, it saves it from being lost in wet harvests, when the crop cannot be got easily and properly dried. In short, the same hands, that would otherwise be necessary on the farm, will be able, with this instrument, to accomplish the business of thrashing without much perceptible loss of time, as they can always in an hour in the morning, before they go out to the plough, or other work without doors, thrash as much as will serve the bestial for one or perhaps two days.
In a few instances, indeed, I have heard complaints that this machine, though erected at great expense, and judged to be sufficiently executed, did not thrash clean. But this must be owing, not to any defect in the principle, but to some inaccuracy in the construction and adjustment of the machinery: a circumstance not to be wondered at, in a work so new and so complicated. It may be expected, however, that, by a course of trials, every defect will be discovered and corrected, and by the improved skill and dexterity which the mechanic will derive from practice, the machine will be brought to such perfection, as to remove every complaint.”

The photographs were taken at the Fife Vintage Agricultural Machinery Rally, June 2015.

Back in 1890 the farmers of Portsoy, Banffshire, could purchase locally made reapers from the MacDonald Brothers, Portsoy. The brothers had been making agricultural implements and machines from 1878; their early manufactures included harrows and turnip lifters.

By 1885 they had started to make back delivery reapers, a manufacture which they continued to make into the early twentieth century. They had a number of models. In 1890 one of them was the Princess, a one horse self-acting back delivery reaper. Another two from 1894 were the Portsoy self-acting back delivery reaper and the Simplex self-acting back delivery reaper. The brothers were among a number of reaper manufacturers in Scotland, others including the famous Kemp, Murray & Nicholson, Stirling, Alexander Jack & Son, Maybole, as well as Auchinachie & Simpson, Keith.

The county agricultural surveys of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement, published between 1795 and 1817 record information on agricultural implements and machines. The Scottish reports include some interesting insights on threshing machines, seen as one of the most important agricultural innovations of the day. The survey report for Aberdeenshire includes a short account on the introduction and use of threshing mills.