Displenishing sales provide an insight into the implements and machines that were being used on a farm when the tenant was leaving a particular farm. They can show the type of agriculture practiced as well as the range of implements and machines used. They can also show whether the Farm was using new and innovative ones or were relying on older ones.
By the late 1950s farm mechanisation had made significant in-roads into Scottish farms. There was an emphasis on tractor power and using a wide-range of implements and machines for crop and animal husbandry. Some farms invested in tractors with their associated name-sake implements and machines, such as the Ferguson system. Others were starting to make greater use of the new grain harvesting technologies of the combine harvester with its accompanying changes in grain handling and storage.
In the Strathearn district of Perrthshire in the late 1950s a number of farms were having their displenishing sales. These show what the individual farms were using on their farms by way of implements and machines as well as the rate of mechanisation that was on the farms. While this varied from farm to farm, the farms showed that some very up to date technologies was being used, including new tractors and combine harvesters. They were also working with implements and machines made by leading Scottish, English and international makers such as Ferguson, Ford-Ferguson, Fordson, International, Farmall, Massey-Dickie, Massey Harris, Sellars, Taylor, Ransome, and Wallace, amongst other names.
So what implements and machines were being used on farms?
Adverts in the local newspaper, the Strathern Herald, provide full accounts of what implements and machines were being used on a number of farms in the district). These include:
Gannochan, Braco (advert from Strathearn herald, 26 April 1958)
Implements – Ferguson diesel tractor (September, 1954), Ferguson T.V.O. tractor (May, 1951), tipping trailer with flakes and high sides, tractor trailer, tractor box cart, horse box cart, corn cart body, Taylor rick lifter (for Ferguson), hay sweel (power lift for Ferguson), Ogle horse fork and Fleming grab, Ferguson mower, hay rake, two horse hay sweeps, swathe turner (Massey-Dickie), hay knife, saddle harrows, heavy tractor harrows, Ferguson harrows (power lift), chain harrows, Ferguson spring-tooth grubber, Ferguson ridger, tractor rollers, Sellar’s single and double furrow plough, 110A horse plough, horse ridge plough, 110A tractor plough, sheep netting stobs, sheep netting, barbed wire, sheep haik (Ritchie), troughs, corn bins, 5ft cut Bisset binder and canvasses (as new), two Massey Harris binders, corn seeder, Tamkin potato digger, corn lifting fingers for binder, Tullis manure barrow (horse and tractor shaft), chemical sprayer (power driven) for Ferguson, Ferguson pulley, Ferguson stabiliser, ladders, paraffin containers on stands, grass seed barrow, oil drums, weights, Ceresan mixer, metal and wood stack bosses, stack props, two visi-chick brooders, large hen hut, four Millar ark hen huts with slatted floors, turnip seeder, scarifier for turnips, two hand barrows; sack barrow, two stack covers (18ftx18ft, 15ftx15ft), rig marker, cattle troughs, two large pig self-feeders, pig creep feeder, fire extinguisher, 400-500 1cwt and 1 ½ cwt corn and potato bags, sparky rope and all the usual barn, byre and stable utensils etc.
Greenwells, Auchterarder (advert, 9 August 1958)
Implements- Massey-Harris combine harvester (6ft cut, as new, having cut only 60 acres), Holland pick up baler (as new), Ferguson tractor, Ford-Ferguson tractor, Fordson major tractor, Wallace binder, Massey-Harris binder, Wallace mower, Wallace potato digger, tractor trailer, tractor roller, horse roller, three furrow Ransome plough, deep digging dual purpose plough tractor sweep, hay rake (suitable for horse or tractor), Ferguson turnip sower, Hoosier, henhouse, hut, chicken brooder, two meat coolers (one as new, R. T.), corn and feed bins, 6hp Petter diesel engine, and all the usual barn, byre and stable utensils.
Loanhead, Auchterarder (advert 25 October 1958)
Implements- Ferguson diesel tractor (1955), Ferguson S. F. plough, Ferguson D. F. plough, Ferguson toolbar, D. B. ridger, tractor bogey, Ferguson pulley, Bamlett hay mower (new), potato digger, M. H. binder, turnip sower, 3 barrel roller, 2 sets spring tooth harrows, 2 manure barrows, set 4 leaf harrows, hay rake, hay sweep, hay turner, F. U. plough, R. T. coup cart, corn driller, car trailer, saw bench, set fanners, cake breaker, hay chopper, steelyard and weights, 2 hen houses, brooder, potato baskets, 2 iron pig troughs, extending ladder, potato hopper, Ferguson top link and stabilisers, stack cover, paraffin infra red heater, 3 corn bins, fire extinguisher, sack barrow, R. T. wheel barrow, guddle and mell, shovels, picks, rakes &c, barb wire, quantity lubricating oil, 40ft rubber hose, and the usual barn, byre and stable utensils.
North Ardbennie, Madderty (advert 24 October 1959)
Implements- 2 David Brown tractors (1953-54), 1 International Farmall H tractor, 2 flat top trailers, R. T. for tractors, 2 box carts R. T, 1 D.B. single furrow plough; 2 D. B. double furrow ploughs, D. B. ridger, D. B. front coverer, potato digger, McRobert potato dresser, grass seed barrow, Albion 5A binder, Bamlett tractor mower, International semi-mounted mower, horse rake, hay sweep, Blackstone elevator, 3 barrel roller, grubber, turnip pulper, set four leaf harrows, 3 iron feeding bins, 2 metal sheep haiks, turnip barrow, cattle catching crate, power turnip cutter (as new without engine), turnip cutter to fit cart (as new), set fanners, pressure grease bucket, electric fencer, 200 fence stobs, 150 sheep net stakes, 200 stack props, 16 rolls sheep netting, 20 sheep troughs, 400 gal water tank, various sizes drain tiles, 2 hen houses 10ftx7ft, 2 hen houses 8ftx6ft, 1 hen house 9ftx6ft, brooder etc, 2 incubators, forks, graips, shovels, etc, usual barn, byre and stable utensils.
