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 reflected the type of activities that were being undertaken, including chicken rearing, potato growing, or cheese making. They can also show whether the farm was using new and innovative ones or were relying on older ones. 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.
By the mid 1940s farm mechanisation was making in-roads on Scottish farms. There was an emphasis on tractor power and using a wide-range of implements and machines for crop and animal husbandry, though horse power and horse-drawn implements still continued to be used. Some farms invested in tractors with their associated name-sake implements and machines.
The following displenishing sale notices for farms in eastern and north-eastern Scotland show the level of mechanisation on these farms, the different types of implements and machines as well as in some cases their makers – who tended to be leading and well-known ones.
Pitgarvie, Laurencekirk (from Mearns leader, 2 November 1945)
“Tractor and tractor implements
Fordson tractor, 1939, on rubbers (high geared), Fordson tractor, 1942, on rubbers, Fordson tractor, 1942, on irons (high geared), 2 International, 2 furrow tractor ploughs, 1 high clearance International corn drill, 20 discs (new), Scott tool bar (new), tractor roller, 6 barrels (new), 12ft lone waggon (new), with frame, 2 tipping bogies and frames (new).
Horse implements etc
6 box carts (2 new) (5 on rubbers), 4 lying carts, McCormick binder, 6ft cut, 2 McCormick binders, 5ft cut, Albion mower, Bamfords mower, 2 horse rakes, 2 stone rollers, 3 brake iron harrows, broadcast (Ben Reid) potato coverer, Mollison digger, 2 potato grubbers, cultivator, 3 drill ploughs, 3 swing ploughs, 2 scrapers, grubber, manure distributor (Reid & Leys), turnip sower, disc scarifier, snow plough, sledge, car trailer, single roller, chain harrows, yokes and swingletrees, 2 binder covers, 4 sack covers, 2 turnip hashers, grindstone, potato harp, boxes and riddles, binder twine, stack bosses, stack props, 4 henhouses, 200 gallon tank, 100 gallon tank, and 50 gallon tank, long marker, hay paddock, long ladder 32ft, 3 small ladders, posts, wire, strainers, 6 tons slag, 200 drain pipes (new), mash barrow, 3 turnip barrows, water barrel, sack lifter, sack barrow, steelyard and weights, garden plough, trestles, power horse clippers, fostermother, fire extinguishers, pig troughs, forks, graips, scythes, 14hp Vauxhall motor car, harness for 3 pair horses, dairy utensils and the usual minor hand tools.
Note – all the above implements are in perfect order and worthy of attention.”
Mains of Lauriston, St Cyrus (From Aberdeen press and journal, 3 November 1945)
“Tractor implements
1 Fordson tractor on rubbers, 1 Fordson tractor (iron wheels), 1 6-foot Bisset binder, 1 B.D.F (D.B.) plough, 1 Seller (D.F.) plough, Newlands ridger, 1 bogey, 1 rubber-tyred art fitted for tractor, S.F. Oliver plough, hay sweep etc.
Horse implements
2 box carts, long cart, Mollison potato digger, McCormick mower, Massey-Harris binder, turnip sowing machine, broadcast, drill sowing machine, 2 scrapers, potato dresser, harrows, S.T. harrows, 1 110a plough, 2 D.B. ploughs, potato planter, steelyard and weights, sack barrow, ladders, 3 barrows, scarifier, paraffin drums, 2 horse rakes, turnip slicer, spraying machine, 50 potato boxes, and large assortment of minor implements. 3 hen houses, 3 stacks hay, Lucas electric firelight set (complete), dairy utensils.”
Craigmosten, Fettercairn (From Aberdeen press and journal, 3 November 1945)
“Implements
Fordson tractor, extending axle for same, tractor wagon, 4 wheeled lorry for tractor, 3 box carts (2 on rubbers), turnip cutting carts, long cart, Massey-Harris binder, 2 Bisset binders, Hoosier drilling machine, Bisset mower, manure distributor, Sellar broadcast sowing machine, 3 Sellar ploughs, 110 ploughs, improved 110, 2 D.B. ploughs, 3 drill harrows, 3 brake iron harrows, 3 sets S.T. harrows, grubber, Bisset potato planter, Bamford potato digger, circular saw with travelling bench, batteries for Wolsey fencer, scarifier, turnip sower, 2 horse rakes, iron rollers, stone rollers, Martin tractor cultivator with ploughs, tractor yoke corn mixer, cattle float, 2 steelyards, cake crusher, turnip cutter, hay gatherer, 3 grindstones, yokes and swingletrees, graips, shovels, hoes, harness for 3 horses, 3 barrows, land marker, potato boxes, lanterns, dairy utensils, Alfa-Laval separator, barrel churn, butter tub, large meal girnal, bothy furnishings, 2 paraffin drums (100 gal), 3 henhouses, Thornby incubator (100 egg), poultry appliances, boilers, ladders, 4 hives, bees, and the usual minor hand tools.
Note-all implements are in good order and have recently been overhauled.”
Bellfield, Inverbervie (From Aberdeen press and journal, 3 November 1945)
“Tractor and tractor implements
Fordson tractor on spade lugs, Ransome sock-bar 2-furrow plough (almost new), Sellar sock-bar 2-furrow plough, Newlands tool bar with ridger and cultivator (new), disc cultivator, rollers (horse or tractor), 2 tractor bogeys (1 screw tipper), tractor cart, pair spade lugs with wheels.
Horse implements
McCormick binder, Bisset binder, Bamford mower, International manure distributor, 2 horse rakes, potato planter, 3 brake iron harrows, S.T. harrows, chain harrows, circular harrows, drill harrow, broadcast grubber, drill sowing machine, 2 drill ploughs, 2 110 ploughs, S.B. and D.B. ploughs, turnip sowing machine, 2 turnip cutters, cultivator, 2 steelyard and weights, hay paddock, potato pulper, Cooch potato dresser, cake breaker, liquid manure pump, scarifier, meal girnal, 3 cattle troughs, sheep troughs, pig troughs, 4 portable hen houses, stack bosses, grindstones, smithy bellows, anvil, vice and tools, 2 joiners’ benches, screw vices, dry pig feeder, patent sack lifter, 6 doz potato boxes, posts and wire, sheep wire netting, rope spinning machine, bindles, barn fan, bushel and straik, forks, graips, shovels, picks, mell, long marker, rabbit hutch, oil drums, harness for 3 horses, tilley and other lanterns, dairy utensils, including Hathaway churn, 100-egg Tamlin incubator, Glevum hover, number of poultry, and the usual minor hand tools, etc.”
Craighead of Benholm, Johnshaven (From Aberdeen press and journal, 10 November 1945)
“Tractor implements
Fordson tractor on rubbers, tractor bogey, Ransome mid trac D.F. plough, Ransome disc harrows, S.T. harrow, tractor harrows, Scott ridger and tool bar (almost new), Dunlop straiks for Fordson.
Horse implements etc
2 box carts with tops (on rubbers), 2 M.F. Sellar ploughs, 110a plough, 4 brake iron harrows, chain harrows, drill harrow, potato grubber, double metal roller, Sellar broadcast (new), manure distributor, turnip sowing machine, Bamford hay mower, Bamford horse rake, hay Jack, Hoosier cultivator with furrowing-up attachments, grain sizer and mixer, barn fan, steelyard and weights, sack barrow, extending ladder, long marker, plough hurley, turnip slicer, stack cover, stack bosses and props, potato hopper, potato boxes, potato riddles, grain and manure sacks, esparto rope, cart ropes, fencing tools, plain and barb wire, yokes and swingletrees, graips, forks, shovels, hoes, scythes, portable henhouse, lanterns, power horse clippers, cart and plough harness for 2 harness, cattle bindings, water bath, oil cabinet, corn chest, dairy utensils, and the usual minor hand tools.”
