Scottish agricultural implement makers

Rucking hay was the last stage in making hay in the hayfield.  In some parts of the country rucks were also known as tramp coles or ricks or even temporary stacks.

By the time that rucks were to be made the drying grass was in coils, coles, cocks, small conical heaps of half-dried hay, the size of which varied according to the district and the season.

© 2016 Heather Holmes

In the days before pick-up balers, hay making involved moving the hay around the field a lot of times to allow it to dry out.  Hay rakes or horse rakes played an important role in moving the hay around the field.  By 1900 they were considered to be an important labour-saving device, reducing the amount of forking by hand that was required to move the hay around the field.

In 1908 Henry Stephens described their use: “The rake is started at the side of the field first cut, and emptied at intervals, regulated according to the carrying capacity of the rake and the weight of the crop.  The rows of gathered hay this formed are called “windrows”.  In these rows the hay lies loosely, and in this condition, with favourable weather, it dies speedily.”  While he described the use of horse rakes in connection with the English method of haymaking, Scottish farmers could purchase and were using horse rakes. 

There were a number of important developments in potato planters in the second half of the nineteenth century.  By 1883 the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland recognised the need to further encourage their development. In that year it ran a trial of them.  One of the competitors was Robert Kyd, Coupar Angus with a two row potato planter.

By that time Robert Kydd, Trades Lane, Coupar Angus, was already a well-known agricultural implement maker, recorded from the mid-1870s.  He brought attention to his manufactures in the North British Agriculturist on 28 July 1875.  He was a regular exhibitor at the Highland Show from 1879 until 1900 as well as a keen competitor of his implements and machines.  He entered the Highland Society’s trial of potato diggers in 1881 and the Royal Agricultural Society of England’s trials of potato raising machines in 1888.  He also entered the Highland Society’s trial of combined reapers and binders, or lifting and binding machines in 1882. 

Back in 1914 Barclay, Ross & Tough conducted its business from Balmoral Buildings, 67-71 Green, Aberdeen, and at Craigshaw, Aberdeen.  It was two addresses that became closely known with its successor Barclay, Ross & Tough and Barclay, Ross & Hutchison Ltd in 1920.

Early important changes were brought about in 1915 with the retrial of Robert Tough.  The business continued to be run by the remaining partners, Robert Ross and Thomas Hutchison.  Mr Barclay, the other partner, had been commission agent in Aberdeen from at least 1874 and then a manure, agricultural implement and commission merchant by 1890.  By 1898 he was described as “Morrison Barclay, of Barclay, Ross and Tough. 

© 2016 Heather Holmes

Hay sweeps were an important implement to sweep or take hay to the stack in the hay field.  Tractor-mounted rakes gradually replaced horse- and tractor-drawn trailed rakes in the 1950s.

In 1952 if you wanted to purchase a new hay sweep you choose one from a number of implement and machine makers throughout Scotland.

Scottish agricultural implements and machines from America have played an important role on Scottish farms since at least the early nineteenth century.  There are reaping machines, tractors, chilled ploughs, among the wide range of implements and machines.  On the hayfield was the American hay sweep, or the Tummlin’ Tam.  Its role was to gather hay across the swathes.  It allowed hay to be more easily moved around the hayfield in the course of its various turnings, cocking and re-cockings.

The Tummlin’ Tam was introduced into Scotland by Archibald Ronaldson of Saughland in 1828 (see http://archive.rhass.org.uk/…/transactions-of-rhass-…/172145).  At first, it was much used in south-east Scotland before spreading to other parts of the country, and Britain.  It continued to be used into the twentieth century. Examples may be seen around the vintage rallies, as well as agricultural museums including Highland Folk Museum and Aberdeenshire Farming Museum.

Another American hay rake, the hay collect or sweep rake, was introduced into Scotland in the latter nineteenth century.  By 1889 the Acme Harvesting Co., Pioria, Ill, was making a sweep-rake.  It was about 15 feet in width with wheels at the side and had long prongs for collecting the hay.  It was introduced into Scotland by John Speir, Newton Farm, Glasgow.  He notes its reason for introduction:

“Owing to the increase of cartage work which annually occurs on this farm at, or immediately after, hay-making, the stacking of the hay crop was often, prior to 1886, difficult to accomplish before harvest began.  In the spring of that year the idea occurred to me of combining the use of the rick-lifter and the horse-fork.  The former had been in limited use on a few upland farms on the borders of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, and the latter was in general use in the hay-barns of America, and to a very limited extent in South Wales.  Two rick-lifters and a rse-fork were ordered in plenty of time, and on trial the combination turned out so successful that a second set was ordered by a neighbour for use that same season.  The combination of these two machines has been of immense advantage to farmers growing large areas of hay, and instead of the rick-lifter being confined to moorland districts, it and the horse-fork are now found on almost every farm in the west where hay is grown for home consumption or for sale to any considerable extent.”

Speir was of the opinion that “if we had a satisfactory machine for collecting loose hay, or which could bring hay in coils to the forkers at the field ricks, our method of making hay would be very much simplified, and the cost considerably reduced.” 

Speir used on on his farm and widely published his view on the usefulness of the hay collector in the North British Agriculturist and in the Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, thus bringing attention to this most useful implement.  The rest, they say, is history.  It became widely used in Scotland. When horses were replacing tractors, they were converted for use with tractors and continued to be used until balers entered the hay field.  In 1852 there were at least 27 makers of them throughout Britain, of which a good number were in Scotland.

America therefore had a long-lasting impact on the Scottish hay field, and one which radically transformed it.

The photos of the hay sweeps were taken at the Fife Vintage Agricultural Machinery Club rally, 2014 and the Borders agricultural machinery rally, 2015.

© 2016 Heather Holmes

Steam power played an important role in mechanising Scottish agriculture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, the national agricultural society, recognised the importance of steam power for the farmer and agriculturist, and encouraged its use and development though a range of means, including premiums, competitions and special committee investigations.

It was at the Highland Show that farmers and agriculturists got to see the latest developments in steam power for the farm.  The first steam powered exhibit at the show was at the Glasgow Highland Show of 1850.  In the “extra implement” class Clayton, Shuttleworth and Co., Lincoln, exhibited a seven horse power portable steam engine for thrashing and other purposes.  This would set the purchaser back £209, and if they wanted it felted and cased they would pay a further £8 extra.  Richard Garrett and Son, Saxmundham, also exhibited a portable steam engine for agricultural purposes for £205.

While the early Highland Shows in the 180s generally had a small number of steam exhibits, their numbers increased significantly as steam power became more widely adopted on Scottish farms.

At the 1875 Highland Show held in Glasgow, there were eighteen exhibitors of steam powered engines and machinery.  They included some of the major English makers whose names came to dominate the making of traction engines and portable steam engines – William Foster & Co., Wellington Foundry, Lincoln, John Fowler & Co., Steam Plough Works, Leeds and Edinburgh, Richard Hornsby & Sons, Spittlegate Iron Works, Grantham, Marshall, Sons & Co. Ltd, Britannia Iron Works, Gainsborough, and Robey & Co., Lincoln.

But there were also Scottish makers and exhibitors, some of whom were well-known at that time for their steam manufactures.  One of them was Alexander Chaplin & Co., Cranstonhill Engine Works, Glasgow, with a portable winding engine. D. Gordon & Co., Newton Works, Ayr, had an eight horse power vertical engine and boiler combined, built on a strong cast-iron foundation, as well as a light two-horse thrashing machine and horse gear.  Another from Ayrshire, J. & T. Young, Vulcan Foundry, Ayr, exhibited a five horse power improved horizontal tank steam engine and independent vertical boiler with cross tuber in fire box as well as a patent stone dressing machine.  William Young, engineer, Ardrosssan, had a three horse power (nominal) vertical engine and boiler combined suitable for driving, thrashing, churning and other machinery.

Steam power continued to be an important feature of the showyard (especially the “machinery in motion” section) of the Highland Show for a number of following engines.  However, from the 1880s steam power had to compete with new forms of power, including gas power, diesel power paraffin power, and electric power, and their increasing use on Scottish farms.

Traction engines continued to be exhibited at the Highland Show until the early 1930s.  The last traction engine that John Fowler & Co. (Leeds) Ltd, Leeds, world-famed for its steam ploughing and cultivating engines and tackle, exhibited at the Show was in 1933.  This was a 10hp (nominal) traction engine, single cylinder, on rubber-tyres wheels and fitted with front tank and Pickering governors, with a rotary plough, its gyro tiller, of 170hp.  By this time a number of the traction engine makers were making diesel powered engines.

A number of traction engines for agricultural use can be seen around the rally fields today.  The photographs are rom the Bon Accord Steam Fair, 2015, Fife Vintage Rally, 2015, and B. A. Country Fair, 2016, illustrate aspects of agricultural steam from the past.

© 2016 Heather Holmes

The harvesting of early tatties underwent huge changes during the twentieth century.

The early crops were traditionally harvested by migratory squads from Ireland, especially from the counties of Mayo and Donegal who moved throughout the early potato districts throughout Scotland.  They started their work in the southwest, in Ayrshire and Wigtownshire, to harvest the earliest ripening crops before progressing eastwards to the Lothians.

After the early crop was harvested they continued harvesting activities throughout eastern and central Scotland until the until the main crop was harvested at the end of October or into November.  They then dressed the crop throughout the winter months.  So important was the contribution of the Irish migratory potato workers to the harvesting of the early crop that they were closely associated with it.

The Irish migratory potato works came over to Scotland in squads, headed up by a gaffer or ganger who recruited them in the home district of the workers.  They largely comprised women and teenagers, with a number of men employed to undertake the heavier tasks on the harvesting field.  The squads, numbering usually around 20-30 workers harvested the crop by hand, or with the potato graip, for much of the twentieth century.

The workers, worked in pairs, or graips, to gather the crop.  One, usually a male, dug the crop, while the other, a woman, gathered the potatoes that were uncovered by the digger.  In essence, the digger worked backwards and the gatherer forwards.  The crop was usually graded or sorted in the fields and the potatoes, in barrels, taken straight from the field to be sold at market.

The digging of early potatoes by hand or graip continued until after the Second World War.  Also employed was the potato plough which made the job of separating the potatoes from the soil easier and less labour-intensive to undertake.  Spinner diggers were starting to be increasingly used.

By 1968 a range of harvesting machines were used to harvest the early potato crop in Scotland. On 57 farms in Ayrshire and Wigtownshire and 16 farms in the Lothians, the Potato Marketing Board found that the plough continued to be used to harvest 3% of the crop in the latter area. The spinner was the most widely used harvesting machine in these two areas, being used to harvest 51% of the crop in the south-west and 8% in the Lothians. Newer technologies were also used. The elevator digger was used to harvest 43% of the crop in the south-west while only 28% in the Lothians.

Mechanical harvesters were also starting to make inroads into the harvesting of the early potato crop.  They were used to harvest 3% of the crop in the south-west.  In East Lothian, this figure was 69%, a significant contrast to the south-west.  In following decades the mechanical harvester came to dominate the harvesting of the early potato crop, as it did for the main crop.

The photograph of harvesting early potatoes was taken at Pilmuir Farm, Balerno, Midlothian, in the 1990s.

© 2016 Heather Holmes

George Bruce was already undertaking his business at 35 Market Street, Aberdeen, in 1885.  This was an address that was associated with him and his company George Bruce & Co., until the mid 1900s when he moved to 14 Regent Quay, remaining there until well through the 1960s.

While George started his business as a seedsman and as a nurseryman, he soon became an implement merchant.  By 1902 he was advertising in The Scottish Farmer as “seed and implement merchants”.  In 1951 the company described itself as “agricultural seed and implement merchants and engineers”. 

© 2016 Heather Holmes

The digging of the tattle crop changed beyond all recognition during the course of the twentieth century.

Back in the nineteenth century the spinner digger, patented by J. Hanson, in 1855, was a revolutionary device, throwing out the potatoes from the drill.  Before its development, the crop was dug out of the ground by two means: the potato graip and the plough.