Adverts for displenishing sales are a useful source of evidence to see what implements and machines were used on particular farms at a specific point in time. They may include implements and machines that had been used for decades as well as newer ones and the latest technologies. They can show the preference of particular farmers for certain makers and makes of machinery as well. They can also be used to show how widespread some implements and machines were, especially if they were more specialised.
By the mid 1930s there was an increasing use made of tractors, though not all farms were using them. Some used both tractor and horse as motive power; others were still using horses. Farms were using a wide range of implements and machines. Some were made by Scottish makers, though there was increasing use made by American and Canadian makers such as Massey-Harris and Oliver. They were especially important for particular implements as machines such as ploughs and binders.
The following selection of adverts from the Dundee courier shows the implements and machines on a small number of farms in the early 1930s. They show widespread mechanisation with a large number of implements and machines being used for wide variety of tasks from ploughing, sowing, cultivation, management, harvesting and processing of crops.
Barns of Claverhouse (Dundee courier, 6 November 1934)
Implements-11 coup carts and 6 sets tops, 6 lying carts, 1 lorry, 3 rick lifters, cattle float, Fordson tractor, Oliver tractor plough, tractor cultivator, Mollison tractor digger, 4 binders (Bisset), 2 mowers (Wallace), grass seed machine, 2 horse rakes, 2 corn drills, manure sowing machine, 1 2-drill plough and manure distributor combined, turnip sowing machine, 2 hay collectors, scarifier, 3 drill grubbers, 2 land grubbers, 4 D. M. ploughs, 2 swing ploughs, 2 110A ploughs, 3 Sellar ploughs, 2 Ransome ploughs, 2 (Wallace) potato diggers, potato planter, 2 shafter rollers, double roller, Parimeter roller, 3 drill harrow, 8 brake iron harrows, drag harrow, hay fork, 2 cultivators, scrapers, 15 set swingletrees, yokes, cake breaker, 2 steelyards and weights, 2 barrows, straw barrow, draff barrow, sack barrows, 5 potato harps, 900 potato boxes, 50 sheep troughs, 25 rolls sheep netting and stakes, sheep turnip cutter (hand), 6 dry pig feeding troughs, 25 pig troughs (Wood), 20 rolls of pig netting, feed steaming plant, netting wire, iron cake house, 5 ladders, 15 hen coops, 6 brooders, hay cutter, fanners, cattle troughs, 8 iron stathels, bosses, props, rakes, clats, scythes, shovels, forks, potato graips, turnip graips, knife stand, steps, presses, bags, cattle bands, esparto rope, grindstone, bench and vice, bellows, tools, stakes, &c, 7 set cart and plough harness and 1 set van harness; mill and engine (Shank’s).
Mains of Baldovan, Dundee (Dundee courier, 6 November 1934)
Implements-6 coup carts with tops, 2 lorries, S. and D. milk van, cattle float, 2 Deering binders, 2 hay mowers, double driller, grain driller, manure machine, grass seed machine, scarifier, turnip sowing machine, potato planter, potato digger, horse rake, 1 land rollers, hay collector, cultivator, land grubber, 3 Dux ploughs, 3 drill ploughs, bantam plough, potato grubber, 2 drill butterfly harrows, 3 brake harrows, grass seed harrows, steelyard and weights, 2 meat coolers, bench and vice, turnip cutter, block and tackle, potato boxes, horse clipper, swingletrees, barn, byre and stable utensils, scrap iron, churn and dairy utensils; also 6 sets cart and plough harness, van harness, spare harness.
Spare household furniture including dining suite, mahogany sideboard, sofa etc.
Pitlethie, Leuchars (Dundee courier, 16 November 1934)
Inmplements- 2 coup carts, 4 corn carts (one on wheels), lorry, hay bogie, 1 110A ploughs, 10A plough, Ransome plough, 2 Dux ploughs, 1 drill ploughs, furring-up plough, 4 sets diamond harrows, 2 sets spring-tooth harrows, circle harrows, Parmiter harrows, 2 Norwegian harrows, 5 drill grubbers, 2 grubbers, Hunter hoe, hung-bung roller, shafted roller, grass seed sower, grain driller, turnip sower, beet sower, double driller, 3 mowers, dung spreader, tumbling rake, 2 binders, horse rake, potato planter, potato digger, potato dresser, 3 hand potato planters, 3 sets swingletrees and odd trees, cattle hamper, barn fanners, cake breaker, steel yard and weights, sack barrel, sack lifter, grain box, wheel barrow, meat cooler, 6 rolls netting, knife trestle, grindstone, potato baskets, riddles, seed bin, turnip slicer, power turnip cutter and engine, sawbench, 3 ladders, guddle and mell, stack bosses and props, four graips, 4 shovels, spades, draining spade, harp, pick, oil drum, 6 hoes, 6 forks, scythe, 2 rakes, 3 sets currycombs and brushes, fencing wire, cart and stack ropes, stack cover, 2 binder covers, sacks, horse clippers, 2 stable lamps, hay cutter, strathel standards, harness for 2 pairs horses and odd harness, “Austin” tractor &c; also bothy furniture.
Pitmenzies, Auchtermuchty (Dundee courier, 20 November 1934)
Implements – coup cart, corn cart, cart frame, cart top, binder, mower, cultivator, shafted roller, horse rake, turnip sowing machine, 110A plough Oliver plough, swing plough, drill plough, furring-up plough, drill grubber, Hunter hoe, brake harrows, circle harrows, tumbling tam, turnip slicer, steelyard and weights, grind stone, bruiser, fanners, bench and vice, wheelbarrow, snow plough, potato barrow, swingle trees, corn barrow, sculls, stack bosses, pig troughs, 2 window boxes, wire ladders, small hen house, hen coops; barn, byre, and stable utensils &c, harness for pair horses.
