Rolling the green crop in Ledmore Nursery
The images are courtesy of Michael Lawrence of Bankfoot whose grandfather, Sandy Rose, was Forester and Head Forester at Ledmore Forest Nursery from 1950 (when land was acquired) until his retirement in 1969.
This image has been given an estimated date of 1956 but could actually be earlier in the period when the nursery was first established and extensively green cropped to improve soil structure and fertility prior to any trees being raised. Green cropping was extensively used as a means of maintaining soil structure and fertility in forest nurseries at this time and sections were always rotated and green cropped with oats and tares (the latter is said to be a type of vetch and good at nitrogen in soil fixing). The ideal treatment was to grow until at full height and just forming seed heads and then plough the crop into the ground to allow it break down naturally.
This image is of a driver on a Ferguson 20 tractor rolling the crop with a set of farm field rollers and more images in the PDF below show the action in detail. The fresh looking number registration MXU374 on the tractor possibly leads to the conclusion that the year may be nearer to 1950.
Can anyone name the driver?
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Groups: Forest Nurseries, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Other Vehicles and Machines, Tractors Ploughs and Drainage Machines