Adverts for displenishing sales include the particular implements, machines and hand tools used at a particular time. Some of the items that are listed were old, though others, as notices sometimes point out were new. They would also have included implements that might have been allocated to the “hedge back” that were put out for sale to realize some money. They also reflect the type of activities that were being undertaken, including chicken rearing, potato growing, or cheese making.
The second half of the nineteenth century saw a number of noted developments in the mechanization of farming, with the introduction of a greater number of iron and metal implements and machines, new machines, such as mowers and reapers, spinner diggers and potato planters, the greater use of threshing mills, and the increasing use of steam power.
Theses changes are reflected to some extent in the implements and machines that are included in displenishing sale notices. They are particularly helpful for showing the spread of new implements for the harvest as well as new types of ploughs. Conversely, they also show where older technologies were still used – even if they were confined to the hedge back, such as wooden ploughs or wooden harrows.
The following adverts show the implements and machines used on a number of farms in Kincardineshire from the mid 1860s to the early 1890s. What trends in mechanisation do you note?
Brackmuirhill, Dunnottar (advert from Stonehaven journal, 19 October 1865)
The implements, consisting of-2 box carts with tops; 1 lying and 1 water cart; 1 double boarded and 1 iron two horse plough; scraper; yokes, swivel trees, and harrows; 1 stone roller, with frame; 1 turnip sowing machine; horse harness; graips, forks and shovels; a threshing mill, fan and other barn furniture; paling and posts; cattle bindings; water cask and spouts; a large meal girnal, a patent milk churn, and a variety of other articles.
West Town of Barras, Kinneff (advert from Stonehaven journal, 19 October 1865)
Horse and set harness; 1 cart and top lying cart; 1 two horse wooden plough; 1 drill harrow; 3 harrows; 1 stone roller, turnip sowing machine, fan and barn furniture, metal boiler and dairy utensils, &c; 1 horse threshing mill, 2 horse power, if not previously sold. Paling and posts with wire fencing.
Briggs, parish of Dunnottar (advert from Stonehaven journal, 19 October 1865)
Carts; ploughs; harrows; rollers; rollers; turnip sowing machine; threshing mill of two horse power with three levers attached; barn fan and other barn furniture; horse harness &c pony cart and harness almost new; dog cart and harness; a large quantity of larch paling and posts; wooden shed; some household furniture and dairy utensils; and a great variety of other articles.
Gowans, parish of Glenbervie (advert from Stonehaven journal, 19 October 1865
2 box carts and frames; 1 long cart; 2 iron ploughs; 1 double moulded plough; 1 iron turnip scrapers; turnip sower; harrows; shovels; graipes; horse harness; barn fan, and other barn furniture; a large quantity of larch pailing rails and posts; a small quantity of hay, and various other articles, dairy implements, and some household furniture, etc.
Auquhirie, Dunnottar (advert from Stonehaven journal, 24 October 1872)
Box and lying carts; water carts; stone and wooden rollers; turnip sowing machine; broadcast sowing machine; iron and wooden single and double boarded ploughs; iron, chain, and drill harrows; horse harness; grubber; meal girnal; turnip cutter; some wooden sheds; paling and posts; some hardwood planking; cornyard sticks; barn and dairy utensils, and a variety of other articles.
Cottonbrae, Fetteresso (advert from Stonehaven journal, 24 October 1872)
Box cart; hand water cart on wheels; wooden plough; 1 pair harrows; drill harrow, and iron grubber; turnip sowing machine; paling and posts; also, a quantity of wire; barn fan; bushel measure; graips; spades; riddles; horse harness, &c &c. Also, a threshing mill, unless previously disposed of by private bargain.
Meikle Tulloch, Durris (advert from Stonehaven journal, 24 October 1872)
2 box carts with tops; stone cart; iron and wooden ploughs; turnip sowing machine; iron turnip scraper; iron grubber; stone roller and frame; harrows; box barrow; graips; forks; barn fan; bushel measure, and other implements; horse harness; a quantity of wooden paling, posts, and wire fencing; and a few articles of household plenishing. Also, if not previously disposed of by private bargain, a good threshing mill driven by water power.
Mill of Uras, Dunnottar (advert from Stonehaven journal, 2 November 1882)
Implements – 6 box carts with tops, 2 lying carts, 3 brakes iron harrows, 2 grubbers, reaper (Bisset’s, Blairgowroie), broadcast sowing machine, turnip sowing machine, 3 iron single ploughs, 1 four horse plough, drill harrow, 2 double boarded ploughs, 4 stone rollers, stone stathels, horse harness, barn fan and other barn furniture, graips, forks, tramp and shoulder picks, yokes, swiveltrees &c.
Blairs, Fetteresso (advert from Stonehaven journal, 2 November 1882)
4 box carts, 1 ling cart, 3 single ploughs, 2 double ploughs, 2 drill harrows, 2 rollers, 1 grubber, 2 brake iron harrows, 1 brake wooden harrows, 1 brake chain harrows, horse harness, spades, graips and shovels, barn furniture, broad cast sowing machine, turnip sowing machine, 1 reaper.
Candy, Drumlithie (advert from Stonehaven journal, 2 November 1882)
Implements – 4 box carts and tops, 2 lying carts, 4 iron two-horse ploughs, 1 iron three horse plough, 2 iron double mould ploughs, iron and wooden harrows, drill harrows, drag harrows, potato digger and grubber, metal and wooden rollers, turnip sowing machine, broadcast corn sowing machine, horse rake, 2 reaping machines, barn fan and barn furniture, barrows, graips, forks, ladders, &c &c.
Upper Wyndings, Fetteresso (advert from Stonehaven journal, 21 May 1891)
2 carts, harvest cart, spring cart, light gig, Bon Accord Reaper and Horse Rake, Oliver Hillside Plough and other ploughs, barn fan and other barn furniture, horse harness, and stable furniture, and other minor implements and tools.
Brunthillock, Portlethen (advert from Stonehaven journal, 21 May 1891)
Implements – 1 box cart, 1 long cart, 1 spring cart, 1 brake wooden harrows, 1 brake iron harrows, D. B. plough, single plough, shim plough, turnip sowing machine, barn fan, wooden roller, grubber, spades, shovels, grains, forks, picks, yokes, swingletrees, rakes, horse harness, wire and wooden fencing, a quantity of household furniture and dairy utensils.
West Bendings, Kinneff (advert from Stonehaven journal, 23 October 1891)
Implements – 2 box carts with tops, 1 long cart with hakes, turnip sowing machine, reaper (as good as new), 2 turnip scrapers, 2 DB iron and wooden ploughs, 2 iron and 2 wooden single ploughs, grubber, 2 brakes, iron and wooden harrows, wooden roller, 2 turnip cutters, 2 drag rakes, horse harness, quantity of wire and wooden fencing and wire netting, ladders, box barrows, scythes, spades, picks, shovels, graips, forks, and a number of corn yard posts &c.
Broombank, Glenbervie (advert from Stonehaven journal, 23 October 1891)
Implements – 4 box carts, 2 long carts, water cart, chain pump, broadcast sowing machine, turnip sowing machine, 2 reapers, 5 single and 3 double boarded ploughs, iron, wooden, and chain harrows, 2 drag harrows, 3 drill harrows, 2 grubbers, oil cake breaker, iron, wooden and stone rollers, horse rake, turnip cutters, weighing machine and weights, corn bruiser, 2 barn fans and other barn furniture, stone stathels, cattle bindings, cart and plough harness, 1 set gig harness, yokes and swiveltrees, box and sack barrows, mangle, cheese presser, scythes, shovels, spades, rakes, ladders, wire fencing and posts, dog cart, and a variety of other articles.
Feathers, Fetteresso (advert from Stonehaven journal, 23 October 1891)
Implements-2 box carts with frames, 1 long cart, 2 iron single ploughs, 1 D.B. plough, grubber, 3 brakes iron and wooden harrows, turnip scraper, 4 rollers, reaper (in good order), turnip sowing machine, barn fan and other barn furniture, horse harness, wire and wooden fencing, box barrows, yokes and swingletrees, tramp and shoulder picks, graips, forks, spades, ladders, &c.
Smiddymuir Croft, Dunnottar (advert from Stonehaven journal, 23 October 1891)
Reaper and binder with back delivery (by Wood), a very good worker and almost new, 2 reapers in good working order, mower (by Young, Ayr), 3 single ploughs, 2 drill scrapers, 2 turnip scrapers (one of them new), grubbers, pony cart, barrow, barn fan, dairy utensils, cheese press, and other minor implements, turning lathe and sliders, rest to suit the lathe, vices, shears, wrenches, anvils, fore and small hammers, bellows and forging tools, ring bending machine and metal bed, boreing braces, nippers, files, grindstones, spades, graips, forks, axe, ladders, metal pump a large quantity of screw tools, and a superior vertical (boreing) machine (a splendid worker).
Even by the early 1890s progress has been made but we still wee a range of wooden implements, such as those at West Bendings, Kinneff, and Feathers, Fetteresso. There are a still a good number of hand tools around the farms such as tramp and shoulder picks, graips, forks, spades, and ladders. There are few sowing machines and potato spinners. The activities that have the greatest number of implements and machines are ploughing and cultivating as well as barn work.
The photographs were taken at the Strathnairn rally, September 2014.
