Forestry Memories

VIDEO - Forestry Process c 1970 Part 1

VIDEO - Forestry Process c 1970 Part 1

Date Added: 04 September 2007 Contributor: Heritage North Year of Photo: 2007 Picture No: 249

Thanks to Bill Mason, Argyll for this video of forestry processes, captured around 1970. The first stage shows ploughing, planting, and spraying, but by hand and by copter. Also shots of vehicles in action. Part One of Three. Click on "Video" below the picture to run it.

Do you know any one here? Any of the locations or machinery? Get in touch or leave a comment. Thanks.

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2 Comments

The planting looks like some research teams working, not sure, but they are using the semicircular spade which was in fashion only for a short while and probably more so in the south. The first machine shown is a rotary chain swipe used to cut heather and gorse back, swped the trace sometimes used as a starting point for burning fire traces.

The second machine looks like a Fiat? tractor with a mounted tine plough, the third is a Bombardier Muskeg (Canadian machine) which was a materials carrier work horse – plants, fertiliser, fencing material, fuel etc. I do not know about the motorised granular herbicide applicator shown. The aerial fertilizing sequence is very interesting in the type of helicopter and the use of an elevator to load buckets – not sure who the company would be that operated the machine but Autair springs to mind.

The sequence showing draining in amongst fairly large trees with a Humpy plough and two tractors is a gem! The lead tractor has been well rigged up for protection. For obvious reasons it was very difficult for the tractor drivers to know where they were going and turning was a nightmare as it flattened half an acre of trees. I vividly remember sitting on top of a cab of a tractor as it was draining in such a situation and desperately trying to read the lie of the land and signaling the driver with a stick down in front of his wind screen to indicate which was to go. A very difficult task and not at all enjoyable as the forester had to walk all around the rides in the forested area and try to get a mental picture of the land fall in the middle of the trees. In flattish ground almost impossible and drains running up hill were not appreciated by the senior management!

 Comment left on 07 September 2007 at 14:00 by Thanks to Norman Davidson
I presume the man smiling with the Horsten farmery prefix applicator on his back was demonstrating this machine, (it was a hard days work on this job.) Comment left on 03 April 2016 at 13:45 by Leslie Phillip
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