The Ayr Show of the Ayrshire Agricultural Association was one of the most important agricultural shows for implements and machines in Scotland. The most important one was the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.
The Ayr Show as important not only for local makers but also those coming from further afield, especially in Glasgow and Edinburgh. It was also attended by some of the major English makers such as John Fowler & Co., Leeds.
The west of Scotland newspapers, including the Ayrshire newspapers and the Glasgow herald published extensive accounts on what was exhibited at the show. The agricultural newspapers such as the North British agriculturist also published accounts.
The following accounts reveal a lot of information on the show and what implements were available to Ayrshire agriculturists in 1889 and 1890. This includes
A context to the display, including trends in the development of implement and machine making, as well as who was exhibiting and what they were exhibiting.
From the Irvine Times of 3 May 1889:
“Ayrshire Agricultural Association
The fifty-fourth show of live stock and implements in connection with the Ayrshire Agricultural Association opened on Tuesday at Ayr. As usual, the proceedings extend over two days.
Implements
Although there are two more stands of implements in the yard, the area occupied is about the same as last yard. Looking at the display as a whole, it is a good one, and comprises examples of nearly all the appliance used in agriculture. There are none which can be described as quite new in the sense that they have not previously been shown, but many of the implements have had improvements made on them during the year. Held, as the show is, in the capital town of the county, it is only appropriate that the makers of Ayrshire should be well represented. Immediately at the entrance to the yard the old-established firm of Messrs Alexander Jack & Sons, Maybole, occupied a large area. They show a varied selection of all their manufactures. Prominent among them are their well-known buck-eye reapers and mowers. They also show a varied selection of highly-finished horse-rakes of simple arrangement, and a new combined mangold and turnip sowing machine. They have also a large number of carts, spring vans, and lorries; and to meet the requirements of farmers going to England, they have designed a substantial Scotch farm cart with harvest ladders of large carrying capacity. A hay tipping cart is worthy of attention. By its means a stack of 20 or 30 cwt can be lifted bodily, or moved from place to place without the trouble of forking.
Mr A. Pollock, Mauchline, who makes all sorts of appliances used in agricultural and dairy operations, has amongst other things the compact curd mill, which has been adopted in the dairy school at Kilmarnock. He also shows a rick lifter with all the working portions of it made of iron. Another handy appliance on his stand is a hay baling machine on wheels. It is worked by lever power, and by its means a quantity of about 2cwt of hay can be compressed into a space 4 feet long, 4 feet deep, and 2 feet 8 inches wide.
Mr T. Hunter, Maybole, has on exhibition a new Cheshire drill plough made of steel. It should be specially valuable to Ayrshire farmers, as it earths up potatoes very well. The mould boards are made boat or tube shape. Mr Hunter also had a successful-looking drill plough with truss beam. It has steel boards, and is stronger and light. The Advanced Plough, which is of Canadian design, is also of steel, and has a particularly light draught.
Messrs J. Wallace and Sons, Graham Square, Glasgow, occupy a large portion of the machinery yard. They show the Thistle Reaper, an implement which was introduced last year, and has become popular. Messrs Wallace have also on exhibition a numerous selection of Oliver chilled ploughs.
Mr J. P. Cathcart, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, shows in motion one of Wood’s binding machines with the original knotter; a new tubular frame mower and reaper combined; an old-style opening reaper and mower; and a number of other farm implements and Paris lawn-mowers.
Mr James Wyllie, Cross-hill, Maybole, shows a turnip pulper of a form which has become popular.
Messrs J. Drummond and Sons, Cumnock, show cheese-presses and a thrashing machine.
Mr W. G. Highet, Kilmarnock, has a variety of dairy appliances and a new washing-machine called the “Torpedo.”
From the Ayr observer of 2 May 1890:
“Ayrshire Agricultural Association’s annual exhibition
Favoured with fine weather the annual show under the auspices of the Ayrshire Agricultural Association has proved the most successful in almost every respect of any previous exhibition. The entries were larger than in any former year, and the drawings taken at the gates and stands exceed any previous years.
Implements
Report of judges
The judges have to report that the exhibition of implements is first-class in workmanship and finish, and always getting nearer the idea of perfection is usefulness. The great variety of implements now in use in use in the different processes connected with agriculture is in striking contrast to those used half-a-century ago; and the form and finish of the implements show a very marked advance. There is no new implement shown on this occasion; but there is a continual improvement going on in the details, making the machines more easily kept in order, and all more readily made to suit different kinds of work.
Messrs A. Jack & Sons, Maybole, cover a large space with specimens of the implements they make, all got up with the greatest care, and finished in the finest art. Wheels are to be seen in the native timber, with a thin film of varnish, and others finished in paint. One market cart has a set of panels or sides and doors of very beautiful variegated elm which would have made a fine dining table. It is difficult to see where improvement is to be made on those articles.
Messrs Wm Waide & Sons, Leeds, exhibit a collection of their Victoria and other churns. They are useful implements but have not yet come into general use in Ayrshire. They are made of good material and well-finished.
Messrs Thomas Sherriff and Co., Westbarns, Dunbar, show their well-known drill and broadcast sowing machine with the latest improvements.
Messrs George McCartney and Co., Cumnock, exhibit a well-made thrashing mill, and cheese presser.
Mr Wm Mair and Son, coopers, Ayr, have a stand which the dairy folks should take a good look at. The quality and variety are excellent.
Mr Edmund Richardson, Kendal, exhibits churns and butter-workers of good materials and workmanship.
Mr Wm Elder, Berwick-on-Tweed, exhibits a number of well-made implements for the field.
Messrs John Drummond & Son, Cumnock, show their usual well-made presses.
Mr John H. Campbell, seed merchant, Ayr, exhibits a number of garden implements and implements for bee-culture.
Messrs Shearer and McCutcheon, Garlieston, show a first-class grubber with a great improvement in lifting the tines out of the ground by throwing them back as they rise out of the ground.
Mr James P. Cathcart, Glasgow, shows Wood’s reaper and binder, and ordinary reapers with improvements.
Messrs Thomas Brown and Co., coopers, Ayr, show well-made dairy utensils.
Mr James Mackie, Peebles Street, Newton, shows strong and well-made churns and butter workers and cheese presses.
Mr James Wyllie, Cross-hill, shows a large collection of churns, reapers, and spring carts, well-made.
Messrs Robert Scoular and Sons (John Allan and Co.) Ayr, show a variety of manures, etc, for the use of farmers.
Mr Charles Weir, Strathaven, shows churns and rollers, turnip sowers, and weighing machines.
Mr Harold Olson, Leith, show a new product-viz-straw rope spun by machinery, and useful for tying beans and roping stacks.
Mr John Richardson, Carlisle, shows his usual hand fanners with improved riddles for taking runches out of grain.
Mr John Gray, Stranraer, shows very large and well-made dairy implements, and a creamer for hand power.
Mr James McHarrie, Stranraer, shows a good collection of dairy implements.
Mr Thomas Hunter, Maybole, show a very large collection of field implements, and a new implement, “Perimeter” harrow for grass seed.
Mr W. G. Highet, Kilmarnock, shows a collection of large and well-made dairy implements, consisting of cheese vats, butter workers, and milk churns, milk heaters, and am apparatus for testing the acidity in milk, all deserving the notice of the dairying class.
Mr A. Pollock, Mauchline, exhibits a very large collection of field implements, fanners, and hay presser of his own well-known make.
Mr John Douglas, Minnieshant, shows a strong and well-made hay presser-a very cheap article.”
