Category: Out and about

Knives and other sharp blades played an important role on the farm, especially in harvesting crops.  Well, there were sickles, scythes, and also reaper, binder and combine harvester sections. And hand knives as well.

All required to be sharpened.  There were scythe stones as well as larger grinding machines.  There were also specialist section sharpeners that made the job easier.  A number of Scottish agricultural implement and machine makers made knife sharpeners. They included Alexander Ballach & Sons, Edinburgh, and William Dickie & Sons, Victoria Works, East Kilbride.  English makers of section sharpeners included Thomas Corbett, Perseverance Iron Works, Shrewsbury.

We can under-estimate the important roles of these machines.  A sharp knife made a real difference in how easy (or not) it was to cut a crop (whether grain, green crop such as turnips, or vegetables such as onions) and the effort involved in the work.  A sharp knife just cut like a warm knife through butter!

Next time you see a knife sharpener, think about its important role, especially at harvest time!

The photographs of knife sharpeners were taken at the Borders Vintage Rally, May 2014, and at the Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore (where there is an excellent selection).

© 2016 Heather Holmes

Displays of threshing using portable threshing machines are a popular feature at a number of the rallies in Scotland.

In the past the visit of the travelling mill was a big occasion for some farms, with a number of farms pooling together their workers to undertake threshing activities.

In 1908 Stephens’ Book of the Farm provides a detailed account of how the threshing team was organised.  It is worth quoting at length:

“The number of persons required to work these portable threshing-machines varies according to the operations performed and the speed of the machine.  Ransoms, Sims, & Jefferies, point out that the economy of threshing must depend on a great measure on the proper distribution of the hands employed, and state that the force, when straw-elevators are not used, should consist of eleven men and boys to be engaged as follows:

“One to feed the machine; two to untie and hand the sheaves to the feeder; two on the corn-stack to pitch the sheaves on to the stage of the threshing-machine; one to clear the straw away as it falls from the straw-shaker; two to stack the straw; one to clear away the chaff from underneath the machine, and occasionally to carry the chops which fall from the cob-spot up to the stage, to be threshed again; one to remove the sacks at the back of the machine as they are filled; and one to drive the engine. The feeder, on whom very much depends, should be an active man, and should have the control of the men stationed near the machine.  He should endeavour to feed the drum as nearly as possible in a continuous stream, keeping the corn uniformly spread over the whole width.  The two men or boys who untie the sheaves should stand on the stage of the threshing-machine, so that either is in a position to hand the feeder a sheaf with ease, but without obstructing the other.  The men on the stack must keep the boys or men on the stage constantly and plentifully supplied with sheaves, which must be pitched on to the stage, so that the boys can reach them without leaving their position.  The man who removes the straw from the end of the shaker should never allow it to accumulate so that it cannot fall freely.  The man whose duty it is to clear away the chaff and cavings from underneath the machine must not allow these to accumulate so as to obstruct the free motion of the shoes; he must watch the basket under the chop-spout, and as soon as it is full, empty its contents on to the stage, in a convenient position for the feeder to sweep the same, a little at a time, into the drum to be threshed over again.  The man who attends to the sacks must remove them before they get so full as to obstruct the free passage of the corn from the sprouts, otherwise the clean corn may be thrown out at the screenings-spout.”

Next time you see a threshing machine, look at how well-organised the team and and how they worked in harmony to get the job done.  It is a great sight to see a well-organised threshing team hard at work!

The photographs show a Highland threshing scene at the Strathnairn rally, September 2014.

© 2016 Heather Holmes

One of the names that will be familiar to readers with a dairy cow or herd was The Dairy Supply Co. Ltd.

On 7 March 1894 the North British Agriculturist announced “The Dairy Supply Co. Ltd, Museum Street, London, notes the opening of a machinery department of their business in Scotland at 1 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, from which they will supply all orders in Scotland and the counties of Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmoreland in England.” 

The name Alex Baird & Sons, agricultural engineers, Annan, came to the wider attention of Scottish farmers in late January 1920 through an advert that it placed in both The Scottish Farmer and the North British Agriculturist.  Readers may remember its adverts from the 1950s and 1950s.

In 1922 the company was a retail ironmonger and a motor engineer. By 1928 it had extended its trades to include those as an electric light engineer and fitter.  It was not until 1936 that directories record it as an agricultural engineer; it also undertook the additional trades of being a mechancial engineer, a millwright and a motor engineer and a garage. 

© 2016 Heather Holmes

If you were looking for a spinner digger until the mid 1960s you might have thought about buying one from J. Bisset & Sons, Blairgowrie.

The company was a long-established one, already making agricultural implements and machines by 1867.  At that time it was based at Marlee, Blairgowrie.  By 1883 it had expanded and set up implement works, Greenbank Works, on the Dunkeld Road, Blairgowrie where it remained into the mid 1960s.

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)

© 2016 Heather Holmes

One of the well-known names of agricultural implement makers and agents in Fife was Farm Mechanisation Co. Ltd, of Ladybank, established by Gavin Reekie in 1947.

From its earliest days its name was closely associated with Massey ferguson.  Indeed, the company was set up to market the Ferguson TE20 tractor with its revolutionary three-point linkage.  In 1958 its strapline was “The Massey Harris and Ferguson people”.  You will see the Farm Mechanisation badge on many a Fergie and MF round the rally fields!

© 2016 Heather Holmes

Hay bogies or sledges were used to haul hay in rucks or ricks to the farm steading.  In essence, they were a flat tipping trailer with a winch.

There were a number of makers of hay bogies.  In 1912 Dickie Brothers, agricultural engineers, Stirling, manufactured an improved one for £6 10s.  The most well-known one was made by A. Jack & Sons, Maybole, Ayrshire.  There are still a few of the Jack bogies to be seen around the rally fields.

There was quite a knack to loading a ruck onto a hay bogie.  You had to make sure that it slid up the tipped bogie and did not tip over as it was being winched onto it (hand or motor powered depending on the model).  You also had to make sure that it did not ride up too far up the bogie, especially if you were using the motor powered one. Then you were in a real mess!

The photographs show a round bale (as a ruck) being wound onto a Jack hay bogie at the Fife Vintage Agricultural Machinery Club rally, June 2014.

© 2016 Heather Holmes

A few days ago we looked at ruck making or rick making.  Because of the hard work involved in making rucks attempts were made to mechanise the process.

In 1921 Robertson & Mclaren, Craigmill, Stirling made their “Victory” had ricker.  It was invented by Geo. Paterson, farmer, Wester Frew, Kippen. It was described as “a new implement for collecting and ricking hay”.  It was exhibited at the Highland Show in 1921 and won a silver medal from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.  It also received a good deal of attention in the agricultural press. 

© 2016 Heather Holmes

Last night’s heavy rain reminded me of a saying that my father used to have: “the rattle of the Dickie hay turner will bring on the rain”.  It records the frustrations of making hay. Just as you were about to go out to the hay field with the hay turner or bailer there would be spits of rain.  I’m sure a lot of readers will testify to that!  Haymaking seasons were remembered by the weather: there were more seasons when “winning the hay” was a really appropriate term.  It was hard fought!