During the early days of the introduction of tractors (motor tractors) in Scotland, there were a number of ways in which farmers and other agriculturists could see them at work. During the First World War (1914-18), some could be had from the County War Committees that directed and looked after agricultural production. They bid for and looked after tractors in their county areas, hiring them out for use. Farmers also purchased tractors and held demonstrations to show them to their neighbours and others in the local district. So too did some of the tractor dealers. The Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland also held important trials in 1917 and 1922.
Ploughing societies played an important role in demonstrating tractors and their capabilities in ploughing. Some tractor dealers held a demonstration as part of a local ploughing match, usually holding it in an adjacent field. When there was a sufficient number of tractors in a district, ploughing match societies opened a tractor class. This usually only had a small number of entries. It provided a good opportunity to show tractor ploughing alongside horse ploughing.
One of the early societies that introduced a tractor ploughing class in their ploughing match was the Central Banffshire Farmers’ Club. In 1921 the Club held an important ploughing match at Keith in February 1921. Because of its importance it was widely reported at length in the local newspaper press. The accounts are worth quoting at length for all their insights into this important ploughing match.
One account was published in the Aberdeen press and journal on 24 February 1921:
“Banffshire farmers’ tractors
Competition at Keith
Finest ploughing show in the north
Tractor ploughing is making great headway in the northern counties, and in this progressive branch of the agricultural industry the farmers of Central Banffshire have demonstrated their up-to-date methods and enterprise. The tractor competition held under the auspices of the Central Banffshire Farmers’ Club at Tarmore, Keith, yesterday was the biggest event of the kind that has been witnessed north of Perth, and attracted a large gathering of farmers from a wide district, who manifested much interest in the modern method of turning over the soil. There have been several horse-ploughing matches in the county which were supplemented by two or three tractors, but on this occasion the competition was confined solely to tractors pulling two or three-furrow ploughs. In this respect it was the first and finest competition that has been held in the northern counties, and much credit is due to the Farmers’ Club in promoting such an educative exhibition. An excellent day’s work was accomplished, and one farmer gave expression to the general admiration by the remark-“It fairly puts the death-knell on the horses”. In the district the tractor is well-established. There are thirty to forty in Central Banffshire.
The competition took place on a 12 acres field placed at the disposal of the Framers’ Club for the occasion by Mr James Weir, the enterprising farmer of Tarmore, and the weather was ideal for the event. It was a strong, clay soil, rather dry for the work, and the hollows severely tested the qualities of the tractors, and tried the skill of the most expert ploughman. The tractors were 13 in number-six Fordsons, four International Juniors, one Glasgow, one Titan and one Case, the latter giving a demonstration under the agency of Auchinachie and Simpson, Keith, and making a very successful exhibition of power against the hill. It pulled a Ruston-Hornsby plough. The majority of the ploughs were the renowned make of Sellars, Huntly, and Auchinachie and Simpson, Keith.
The winning tractors
The prize-winners were:-
Three-furrow ploughs-1. Mr McCallum, Auchenhove, Keith, with Titan tractor and Sellar plough; 2. Mr McKay, Mains of Tannachy, Portgordon, Glasgow tractor and Oliver plough.
Two-furrow ploughs-1 and cup, Mr Wilson, Muckleton, Lessendrum, Huntly, with International tractor and Sellar plough; 2. Robert Allan, Bush, Keith Fordson tractor and Sellar plough; 3. K. H. Gambles, Arnhall, Huntly, International tractor and Sellar plough; 4. Robt. Cameron, Bogbain, Keith, International and Sellar plough; 5. S. Simpson, Berryleys, Keith, International tractor and Auchinachie and Simpson plough; 6. Alex Dey, Midthird, Botriphnie, Fordson tractor and Sellar plough; 7. Thomas Gordon Duff, Drummuir Home Farm, Fordson tractor and Auchinachie and Simpson plough; 8. John Cameron, Braehead, Keith, Fordson tractor and Sellar plough; 9. Jas Robertson, Keithmore, Dufftown, Fordson tractor and Sellar plough; 10. A. McLean, Heads of Auchinderran, Fordson and Sellar plough.
Straightest furrows-Robert Allan, Bush.
Neatest ends-K. H. Gambles, Arnhall Huntly.
Best manipulated tractor-Robert Cameron, Bogbain.
Not a bad ploughed rig
Each of the tractors had to plough about an acre, and first-class and expeditious work was done with any kind of plough. Indeed, there was not a bad-ploughed rig in the field, and a veteran judge declared that he had been at six or seven horse ploughing matches this year, and the first prize tractor ploughing compared very favourably with any of the first prize work at the horse competitions.
Mr Wilson of Muckleton’s first prize and cup two-furrow plough tractor was a 10 to 12 hp International, run with paraffin and starting on petrol. It was a very neat and easily-managed one-man machine, with plenty of power for a two or three-furrow plough, working with a small consumption of oil. The engine was all incased in, a protection from the frost, with mudguard and platform for the driver. The machine is capitally adapted for the soil of Banffshire, and requires about a gallon of paraffin an hour. The second was a Fordson tractor belonging to Mr Allan, Bush. Indeed, the type of tractor which was predominant in the competition was the Fordson, which is evidently a popular machine with the farmers on account of its handiness and cheapness. The Internationals, again, took the third, fourth, and fifth places, followed by the Fordson. The first three furrow Sellar plough was drawn by a Titan, and the second was an Oliver pulled by a Glasgow tractor.
The judge of the ploughing was Mr William Newlands, Knockans, Boharm, who gave complete satisfaction by his decisions, while Mr William Simpson, Stripside, was equally successful in his selection of the neatest ends, straightest furrows, and best manipulated tractors. The committee of the Farmers’ Club who carried out the arrangements, and to whom much of the success of the competition was due, were Messrs S. McCallum, Auchinhove (convener); John Shand, Muiryfold; Laing, manager, Drummuir Home Farm; R. Cameron, Bogbain, Keith; S. Simpson Barryleys; James Weir, Tarmore; R. Guthrie, auctioneer, Keith. Mr Charles H. Weir and Mr George Smith lent admirable services as joint-secretaries.
The prizes were presented by Mr William Simpson, Stripside, who proposed a vote of thanks to the competitors. He hoped to see them all back again next year and give them a fairer plough and not put them into these banks and braes. (Laughter). He also proposed hearty thanks to Mr Weir for giving the field. And wished him a good crop. (Applause)
After the prizes had been awarded the members of the committee and other friends were hospitably entertained at Tarmore by Mr and Mrs Weir, who were heartily thanked for their kindness.”
Another account was published in the Banffshire journal on 1 March 1921:
“Tractor competition
Display at Tarmore, Keith
The north-west of Scotland can boast of a number of large and flourishing agricultural societies, each strong and influential, in the district which it serves, and of them all there is, unquestionably, none more progressive and enterprising than the Central Banffshire Farmers’ Club. The show held annually by the Club is always an outstanding event in these parts at a time when meetings of the kind are almost the sole interest of the great farming community. Its large membership covers the whole of Banffshire and not inconsiderable sections of Aberdeenshire and of Moray, and in its immediate district, that of the central part of Banffshire, is a race of farmers who have always shown themselves to be imbued with a. spirit of advancement and enterprise, and this is reflected in the go-ahead policy of the Club. Their latest enterprise was the holding of a farm-tractor ploughing competition which took place under the Club’s auspices on Wednesday and was attended with unqualified success. It was the outcome of a decision made at the annual meeting of the Club a few weeks ago, when the suggestion of several members that such a competition should be held was brought forward by the chairman and adopted, a committee being appointed to carry the matter through. To the Club now belongs the honour of having instituted, as far as is generally known, the first event of the kind in the northern counties, and certainly the first in Banffshire. North and south there have been many tractor trials and competitions where ploughing was done to test the endurance, power, economy, &c of the many makers of motor tractors now on the market. At quite a number also of ordinary ploughing matches in various parts there has lately been introduced a section for tractors, but yesterday’s event was probably the largest held since those which took place in the south under the auspices of the Highland Society [in 1917], and the first in the north, confined to tractors, in which farmers owning these implements were the competitors, and the standard of judging was the quality of the work done.
The match took place at Tarmore, on a breezy height about a mile northwards of Keith, kindly offered for the purpose by the tenant and proprietor, Mr James Weir. Mr Weir, as is well known, believes in progress, and has ever sought to encourage the introduction of useful modern methods in the farming industry. His enterprise is evident in all parts of his fine farm, not only in its excellent state of cultivation, but in the steading and dwelling-house, where only very recently a private electric lighting system was introduced. His offering of a field for Wednesday’s competition immediately he heard of the suggestion, is but another instance of Mr Weir’s progressive and generous disposition. The field was in lea and extended to some 12 or 14 acres and fairly deep hollows in it made it a trial hard test for the tractors. There were thirteen tractors working during the day, twelve of which were comping while one was present for demonstration purposes. This by no means represented the number of entrants who voluntarily came forward for the match, however. They had to be confined to that number because of the limitations of the recommendation of the field. This reflects the fact that the tractor is well established among the farming community of central Banffshire, in which district it is estimated that there are at least 30 or 40 machines of the kind in use on farms. The tractors competing comprised six Fordsons, four International Juniors, one Titan, and one Glasgow, and the majority if the ploughs were of the famous Sellars, of Huntly, make, with a. few new ploughs made by Messrs Auchinachie & Simpson, Keith. It will be seen that half of the entries were tractors of the Fordson make, a circumstance which points to the popularity of this type. Manufactured as it is by the Ford car people, it is the cheapest and undoubtedly one of the most generally useful tractors on the market. The tractor which was not competing was of the Case make, and it was being demonstrated under the agency of Messrs Auchinachie & Simpson.
The match started at eleven o’clock and continued till late in the afternoon, and an excellent day’s work was done, the field ere the finish being completely transformed from green to black. The weather was ideal for ploughing, if a little chilly at the altitude of Tarmore for the spectator. There was a large gathering of farmers, farm servants, and others interested, and in the afternoon nota. Few of the townspeople of Keith came to watch the progress of the event. The judge of the ploughing, whose task was no light one, was Mr William Newlands, Knockans, Boharm, a veteran judge of ploughing matches, and himself a champion ploughman in his younger days. He gave complete satisfaction om his awards. Mr William Simpson, Stripeside, Grange, was judge for prizes given for the straightest furrows, neatest ends and best manipulated tractor. There were two classes in the match, the first for three furrow ploughs and the second for two-furrow ploughs. It was stipulated that ploughing must not exceed 6 ½ inches in depth. There were two entries in the first class and ten in the second. The field has a stiff, strong clay soil, rather dry for the best of ploughing, owing to the exceptionally fine weather, and with the deep hollow running almost from side to side it offered a good test for the tractors and tried the skill of the most expert ploughman. Each of the tractors had to plough about an acre, but in view of the unevenness of the field allowances were made to contestants who happened to have specially difficult parts, whereby each was placed in approximately the same position as his neighbour. While ploughing was in progress the field presented a busy aspect, much livelier than an ordinary ploughing match, the noise of the striving, spluttering engines rising above all, and the general impression of the whole thing was that it was distinctly modern. The work being done by the various competitors was closely followed and inspected by the farmers, and the general feeling was of admiration and unqualified approval. Many doubters of the advantages of the tractor must have been completely converted, and it was manifest on the field that the event will have done much to stimulate interest in this comparatively young, versatile and handy machine, which is undoubtedly destined to become part of the equipment of most farms and holdings.
It is a notable fact that although there were, of course, numerous stoppages until ploughs were adjusted to the nature of the ground they were on, there was not a single mechanical breakdown throughout the day. The quality of the work was of a high standard all over, and it drew unstinted praise from a highly critical spectorate. Not one badly ploughed rig could be picked out on the field, and it was first-class work with any kind of plough. The judge remarked that he had judged at six or seven ploughing matches this year and the first prize tractor work that day compared very favourably with the best work with horses at any of those matches. This is a highly satisfactory result and it becomes the more significant when it is pointed out that the average work of any tractor when ploughing is anything from three to six acres per day, while a man with a horse plough will seldom cover one acres per day.
When the last tractor had left the field, the judge, after a final look round, intimated his decisions. In the first class, for three-furrow ploughs, the first prize went to Mr McCallum, Auchinhove, with a Titan tractor and a Sellar plough. The Titan is one of the best known machines of the heavier and more powerful type, and its merit has been proved at many of the tractor trials throughout the country. The second prize went to the only other entrant, Mr Mackay, Mains of Tannachy, Portgordon, with a Glasgow tractor, and an Oliver plough. The Glasgow is a three-wheeled machine and is well known for the substantial lines on which it is constructed. It was singular at this competition in that it was the only tractor on the field which is manufactured in the British Isles. The others all being of American manufacture. The Oliver plough which it pulled, however, was of American make.
In the class for two -furrow ploughs, the list was headed by the champion of the match, since he won the silver cup presented for the best work. This was Mr Wilson, Muckleton, Lesendrum, whose tractor was an International Junior, drawing a Sellar plough, and he is to be congratulated on having gained the honour at the first competition of the kind. The International Junior tractor, with which Mr Wilson won, is a 10 to 12 horse plough machine of a very popular type. It is an easily manipulated one-man outfit and is sturdily built. Running on paraffin, after being started with petrol, it gives plenty of power for a two-furrow plough, and can easily pull a three-furrow plough on level ground. Its consumption of fuel is small. The motor and other mechanical parts are cased in as a protection from the weather elements, and it has a platform and mudguards for the comfort of the driver. Provided with three speeds it is a very adaptable machine. The plough which it drew was one of Messrs Sellars’ renowned double-self lift ploughs with which matches have been won all over the country.
The second prize was won by Mr Robert Allan, The Bush, Keith, with a Fordson tractor and a Sellar plough. The Fordson is one of the best known makes of tractor while it is also the cheapest on the market. The simple but strong lines on which it is built male it an attractive machine and its light-ness-it weighs 23cwt-is an advantage. It draws a two-furrow plough at an average speed of about 2 ¾ miles per hour, working on a low consumption of paraffin fuel, and its nimbleness of action is a special feature.
Mr K. H. Gambles, Arnhall, Huntly, was third with an International Junior tractor and a Sellar plough; Mr Robert Cameron, Bogbain, Keith, was fourth with a. similar outfit; Mr S. Simpson, Berryleys, Keith, was fifth with a similar tractor but with a plough made by Messrs Auchinachie & Simpson, Keith, which was on the ground for the first time; Mr Alex Dey, Midthird, Botriphnie, was sixth with a Fordson tractor and a Sellar plough; an outfit comprising a Fordson tractor and a new Auchinachie & Simpson plough from Drummuir Home Farm, was seventh; and Messrs John Cameron, Braehead, Keith; James Robertson, Keithmore, Dufftown, and A. McLean, Heads of Auchinderran, were eighth, ninth, and tenth, respectfully, each using a Fordson tractor and a Sellar plough.
The prize for the straightest furrows went to Mr Allan, The Bush: that for the neatest ends to Mr K. H. Gambles; and Mr Cameron’s, Bogbain, International Junior was the best manipulated tractor.
The Case tractor sent for demonstration purposes by the Case Threshing Machine Company, London, is a compact, powerful machine, and pulling a two-furrow Ruston-Hornsby plough, it have a very successful display of its utility.
Mr William Simpson, Stripside, presented the prizes to the successful competitors, and thanked them for having come forward so well for the new venture. He hoped they would all come back for the next competition, when they might have a fairer plough on more level land and not on these banks and braes. (laughter) He thanked the spectators for having supported the venture, and proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Weir for kindly granting the field, wishing him a good crop in the coming season. (cheers)
The arrangements for the meeting could not have been better though the match had been an old-established event, and they were carried out with a smoothness that reflected credit on the committee and officials who were reasonable for them. The secretaries of the Club, Messrs Charles H. Weir and George Smith, were early on the field arranging the competitors, and in their duties during the day they were ably assisted by the energetic committee, which consisted of Messrs S. McCallum, Auchinhove, convener; John Shand, Muiryfold; A. Laing, manager, Drummuir Home Farm; R. Cameron, Bogbain; S. Simpson, Berryleys; J. Weir, Tarmore; R. Guthrie, auctioneer. Keith, and Leith, Glengerrack.
After the finish of the proceedings a company of friends, including the committee and judges, were entertained with characteristic hospitality by Mr and Mrs Weir, who were warmly thanked for their kindness.
The event probably marks the beginning of a new annual interest for the agricultural community, and not only the enterprise shown but the successful manner in which it was carried through by the Central Banffshire Club calls for the heartiest congratulations.
