Fordson Bogmaster with Ferguson Digger
Photograph courtesy of John Munro, Ballindalloch, who worked as a forestry ploughing operator for the Keith based contractor George Milton. John worked for him for about three years ploughing in many parts of the northeast and over Inverness way.
John remembers this machine combination being fitted up by Ferguson engineers from Coupar Angus area. The County Bogmaster came new as an acquisition by George Milton to plough the soft boggy areas and he saw the opportunity to mechanise the draining operation by adding on the relatively newly invented Ferguson Digger. The engineers had some difficulties in fitting the two machines together and had to call on the help of the staff at Simpson’s Smiddy at Keith to help them out.
John recalls that the tractor continued to be used for pulling ploughs but when a ditching job came up they fitted on the digger again. He remembers being told about an incident when the County arrived new and was ploughing a very soft bog near Tomintoul. George (senior) was walking in front leading the way across a particularly soft area. The driver wanted to divert around but George insisted on going straight through as this was what he bought the machine for. The driver did follow on and the machine went down and down until it was almost out of sight but managed (no doubt after loosening off the plough) to climb out the other side. George was most put out by the fact the new headlights had been damaged!
The outfit is seen here at Cullen Estate operated by George Milton (junior). Note the hydraulic pump on the front of the Fordson driven off the flywheel.
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Northeast Scotland , Other Vehicles and Machines, Tractors Ploughs and Drainage Machines