Forestry Ploughing Practice Advice 1956
This ten page Research Branch paper No 20 has been scanned by Bill Rayner, Perth and gives a clear insight into the then understanding of the benefits that could accrue from the use of ploughs on forestry land but also does point to the some of the drawbacks and risks which in later years became all too apparent.
John Zehetmayr presents a very reasoned and considered case for ploughing and indeed without the initial ploughing programmes a great many forests would not have been able to be started. Many of these forests are now being replanted with second crops of trees through the use of much less dramatic machinery interventions and in some cases even reseeding themselves naturally after or just before clearfell.
There are brief descriptions of the various types of ploughs and the types of ground conditions for which they are most suited. Examples of ploughs are the Solotrac, Cuthbertson (single, double, drain and reversible), Begg turf plough, Tine ploughs (mounted and trail with an early mention of the Ross Plough frame called ‘Forestry Commission Carriage’) and even mention of the Prairie Buster.
Groups: Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports, Tractors Ploughs and Drainage Machines