Multi row tree seed sowing machine at 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 follows on from that show in Picture No 5336. Here there is a full view of the back of the machine that was capable of sowing conifer seed very thinly in six rows down a traditional seed bed. The aim was to have young trees in same line for their nursery life of 2 to 3 years and avoid the expense and losses associated with lifting seedlings and laboriously lining them out. This seems to have been targeted at pine seedlings/transplants and involved several periods of undercutting to control the rooting depth and produce young transplants with wider bushy rooting systems.
Unusually for the nursery this was a six row system whereas most of the traditional lining out was a five row system. This would have required a separate set of mechanised weeding tools and inter row cultivators. The Picture Number 5389 may well show the results of the machine sown transplants of Scots pine. Note the roller with six individual ridges to compact the seed into the soil.
The attached PDF is interesting in that a grit distribution bin has been fixed to the mounting brackets shown on the back of the seed sower. The image may be a trial run or one set up for the camera as the bed is very short. However the grit distribution is also in six individual narrow rows each covering just each sown seed row.
Any comments and other observations welcome.
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Groups: Forest Nurseries, Forestry Areas, Other Vehicles and Machines