What implements and machines were Scottish farmers using in 1923?
Farmers and agriculturists were using a wide range of implements to prepare seed beds and sow crops in 1923. The emphasis in seed bed preparation was to break down the clods and lumps in the soil and produce a fine tilth. A range of implements were available including cultivators, grubbers, harrows (including heavy, zig-zag, chain, Scotch, English) and scarifiers. Each farm had their preferred ones to suit the type of land as well as the preference of the farmer. Especially on the larger farms where there was a large amount of land to be worked, there were a number of sets of harrows, rollers etc to be able to work the land within the relatively short time available.
The Scotsman, 10 November 1923
Bloom Farm, Livingston, Mid Calder (Mrs Hamilton)
Manure distributor (almost new); 2 land rollers; 2 horse grubber; 4 sets heavy harrows; set grass seed harrows; set saddle harrows; double drill manure sower; 2 horse cultivator; 4 horse cultivator; turnip barrow; grass seed barrow; land marker
The Scotsman, 10 November 1923
Boghall, Milton Bridge (W. J. Wakelin)
Broadcast barrow, drill barrow, 2 pole cultivators, 2 drill grubbers, 3 Paxton ploughs, 3 sets English harrows, drill harrows, turnip barrow, drill roller, drill barrows, manure barrow, 2 rollers
The Scotsman, 10 November 1923
Papple, Prestonkirk (James Crichton)
Double drill, manure sower, manure broadcast sower, corn drill, disc sowing machine (practically new), turnip disc scarifier, broadcast sowing machine, turnip barrow, large iron roller (very heavy), 2 iron train rollers, Cambridge roller, drill roller, potato plough, 2 double moulded ploughs, dumb Tam plough, 3 pair English harrows, 3 pair Scotch harrows, spring tooth harrows, grass seed iron do., 7 drill grubbers, Hunter hoe, 2 three-horse grubbers, 2 two-horse grubbers, 2 Norwegian harrows, drug.
The Scotsman, 10 November 1923
Humbie, near Kirkliston (A. Dudgeon)
5 drill ploughs, 2 double-horse drill grubbers, 5 single-horse grubbers, 8 sets harrows, 2 sets grass seed harrows, 3 three horse grubbers, 5 rollers, 5 drill rollers, Cambridge roller, stone roller, 3 turnip cutters, 2 turnip sowers, scarifier, 3 manure distributors, drill opener, 1 set drill harrows, 1 set Norwegian harrows, 2 cultivators, 2 set double harrows, 2 set chain harrows, Hosier drill grain sower, 1 broadcast sower, 300 potato boxes.
The Scotsman, 10 November 1923
Riccarton (near Linlithgow) (R. Anderson)
2 drill ploughs, 4 sets harrows, 2 grubbers, 3 scrapers, 3 metal rollers, grass seed sowing machine, turnip sowing machine,
The Scotsman, 10 November 1923
Loanhead, Lauder (Robert Marshall)
Grubber, turnip sower, 3 drill grubbers, spring tooth cultivator, 2 ploughs, drill plough, metal roller, harrows, chain harrow
