William Duff & Son Tree Nursery, Forfar

Date Added: 15 March 2016 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1973 Picture No: 3273

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Phillip, Perth who comments:

‘Massey Ferguson 135 working the ground before the final pass with a rotavator. William Duff owned two of these tractors fitted with special reduction gear boxes, used mainly for the lining out machines (known as cabbage planters). The fitting of this type of gear box made the tractor two feet longer than normal. Note the front weights - a full set was fitted when using the cabbage planters, even then this was hardly enough when the planting machine was raised.’

Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Other Vehicles and Machines

7 Comments

Curious !
An advert in TREES in NO. 3 Vol. X 1947
for tree seedlings & transplants .
Still on the go ? !
Kind regards
William Comment left on 29 January 2021 at 09:31 by william corner

Hi William as far as I know William Duff & son is no longer in business, If you look on the search box I have a few more photos of the nursery just outside the town of Forfar. Comment left on 29 January 2021 at 13:38 by leslie phillip

Curious
would you happen to have any photos of the blue Gutbrod 1030 tractor that was used at the @William Duff & son tree nursery in Forfar Comment left on 23 February 2021 at 15:47 by steven

Hi
No, sorry no photos of anything like!
I live the other end on the edge of the New Forest! And the fortunate owner of an acre of `woodland`just in the N.F.N. Park
There is an advert in the same `Trees` D. Stewart & Son Ltd who are still on the go locally .
Comment left on 23 February 2021 at 18:47 by william corner

Steven. sorry I don't have any photos of the Gutbrod 1030 tractor, as I remember it was white and red in colour by the time I worked at the nursery, and was used by William Duff himself mainly to give the local kids a treat sitting in trailers pulled by this tractor on open days around the nursery. Comment left on 27 February 2021 at 19:33 by leslie phillip

This was a lovely accidental find for me to stumble across. Bill Duff was my dad and he passed away in 1998. I remember the tractors well. There's a great photo of my Dad as a toddler with his Dad and 2 huge Clydesdales, and then a marching photo of my Dad and my then toddler brother with the 2 big tractors. We also had a vintage wee grey Fergie, which was sold a couple years after my father died. Thanks for posting this. Comment left on 07 October 2024 at 20:16 by Suzie Mertes

Hi Suzie. as I remember your dad was well into everything mechanical especially vintage tractors etc. at the time I worked for him he did have a very rare Ford Ferguson. Comment left on 09 October 2024 at 16:37 by Leslie Phillip

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