Continuous Mounder plough at Carrbridge Area
The photos are courtesy of Geordie Davidson via Tom McLellan, Taynuilt. Actual photograph taken by Mary Yule.
The nicely painted modified plough is designed to act as a mounding machine. This was in the era of an attempt to move away from the continuous ribbon of the plough furrow which led to tree root systems mainly running with the furrow and vulnerable in strong side winds. This was most evident it deeper wet peat. However deep peat is now not planted with trees and excavators currently appear to do the mounding work.
It is an ingenious mechanism turning with the forward movement of the tractor and had some potential and produced individual turfs for planting on as can be seen downhill of the tractor. Geordie comments however: “It was not the best of plant to work with. If the spades went into the ground at the same time either side and at the right depth, it worked a bit. But if they were off set, it swung from side to side as there was nothing to control it. I really took a dislike to it – good job they were not in use in my ‘heyday’!
Many a day I carried it off the hill with one side broken off. Andrew Allan would say they are as strong as ‘lorry axles’ – I would say lorry axles run in line - mounds don’t – another scratch of his head and rub of his face, but Andrew would never admit it !”
There is the possibility that three spades on each disc may have worked a little better but would not have solved the breakage problems. Mechanised development in forestry was ever thus!
In reality the only continuous acting mounders that really worked well in majority of conditions were hydraulically turned discs or spikes, mounted on and pulled by machines with a fair bit of horse power.
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Tractors Ploughs and Drainage Machines