Newton Nursery seed beds and Bill McKenzie
Images courtesy of Alan Duncan, Nursery Manager, Newton who has also provided the details for each image.
As 1981 was the 50th anniversary of the formation of Newton Nursery a series of photographs was taken of the ongoing operations that year by forester Sandy Watson. On an organised open day for the public, several more photographs were taken by Douglas Green from the Photo Library section of Edinburgh Head Office.
The seed bed photograph details are below and the actual images are in the attched PDF.
1 - Picture of fallow cultivated ground.
2 - Ridger plough used for forming alleys in order to raise seedbed. Seedbed preparation (Bill McKenzie is the tractor driver).
3 - Rotovating of seedbeds in order to create a fine tilth prior to actual seed sowing.
4 - Rolling and brushing of seedbeds prior to sowing taking place. Roller used to consolidate newly rotovated beds. Brush follows behind roller smoothing over any cracks in the rolled where seed could fall down during sowing. Danny Younie is the tractor driver.
5 - Rolling and brushing of seedbeds prior to sowing taking place. Roller used to consolidate newly rotovated beds. Brush follows behind roller smoothing over any cracks in the rolled where seed could fall down during sowing. Danny Younie is the tractor driver.
6 - Actual rolling and brushing operation happening. Danny Younie is the tractor driver.
7 - Seedbeds after ridging operation (picture 2) has taken place. Beds on the right of this picture have yet to be rotovated. Beds of left have already been rotovated, rolled and brushed.
8 – Alan Duncan drying off seed prior to sowing and following 4-6 week period of seed pre-treatment. This is where water is added to the seed well in advance of sowing operations in order to break seed dormancy and to help actual germination of the seed following sowing.
9 - Mixing red lead into tree seed for use as bird deterrent. Also makes seed more visible when sowing. It is actually William (Doods) MacIntosh and not Danny Younie as I originally thought. Doods was the ganger at Newton Nursery for many years.
10 – Sandy Main mixing red lead into seed. In addition, seed is drying in trays following pre-treatment of seed with water prior to sowing.
11 - Sandy Main mixing red lead into seed.
12 - Hand pulled seed sower with David (Dyke) Murray
13 - Hand pulled seed sower with David (Dyke) Murray and Donnie Wright
14 - Hand pulled seed sower with David (Dyke) Murray and Alan Duncan (I look quite young in this slide).
15 - Hand pulled seed sower with David (Dyke) Murray and Alan Duncan
16 - Sowing of Birch seed by hand (Sandy Main) in foreground. David Murray & Donnie Wright loading hand pulled seed sower.
17 – On right is sowing of seed using mechanised tractor powered seed sower (Sisis seed sower) driven by Tommy Milne. This seed sower is still used for sowing our seed to this day.
On left is the procedure of gritting seedbeds using 6mm grit. The grit is used to both keep birds off the newly sown seed, but also helps to retain moisture in the bed and thus promote ideal conditions for the newly sown seed to germinate quickly after sowing (10-21 days).
18 - Seed sowing using Sisis seed sower. Sandy Watson is the man standing on the back of the sower. His job was to ensure that the seed is evenly distributed across the base of the sowing rollers at all times, thus ensuring even distribution of the seed over the sown bed.
19 - Loading of seedbed grit by tractor mounted loader. Colin Fraser is the driver.
20 - Seedbed gritting. Willie Anderson is the driver.
21 - Seedbed gritting.
22 - Placement of mild steel netting wires prior to netting of beds. Wires hold the net up off the bed. Nets applied as bird protection. Willie Anderson is the person in the photograph.
23 - Polythene cloche used to cover seedbeds. This was used to promote better field germination and also to force trees onto a larger size over a much shorter period of time.
24 - Polythene cloche used to cover seedbeds. This was used to promote better field germination and also to force trees onto a larger size over a much shorter period of time.
25 - Full cloched area of newly sown seedbeds (Scots Pine). Sandy MacKintosh (Nursery Manager at the time) is walking in the background.
26 – General view over Sitka spruce seed beds
27 - Gunn lifter slackening 1-year old seedlings. These seedlings are then subsequently lifted by hand into boxes for lining out (transplanting).
28 Gunn lifter slackening 1-year old seedlings. These seedlings are then subsequently lifted by hand into boxes for lining out (transplanting).
29 - Again hand lifting of 1-year old seedlings prior to lining out.
30 - Hand lifting of Sitka spruce seedlings. Lady on the left is Elma Robertson and lady on the right is Sheila Duncan.
31 – Alastair French hand lifting Sitka spruce seedlings
32 - Picture taken from the top of the Knock Tower at Newton looking north over the nursery and towards the Moray Firth.
Groups: Forest Nurseries, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Northeast Scotland , Other Vehicles and Machines
Group: Forestry Areas - 3222 pictures
2 Comments
I worked at Laigh of Moray from July 1975 until around August 1976 when I transferred to Glenbranter.
Bill McKenzie was picked up at Roseisle every morning in the van driven by Alex Forbes, who collected workers from Burghead, Cummingstown and Hopeman for their day's work at Newton and beyond.
Danny Younie was always full of amusing tales on a variety of topics.
Sandy Main was a student during my time there, and worked through the holidays from University.
Dyke was good company, and also a great cricketer.
Sandy Watson was a renowned character.
Willie "Gumpy" Anderson was good company, and full of stories.
Sandy macKintosh was one of the kindest men you could have known.
Elma Robertson was a passenger in the van from Burghead onwards every day.
Could Alastair French have been Willie French's son?
During the time I was at Laigh of Moray, the Chief Forester was Jack Frater; Doug Yates, Brian Foggo and Duncan McLeod (?) were Foresters.
Great days and great memories. Comment left on 27 November 2021 at 10:49 by Leslie Sinclair
At the end of the 1970’s and beginning of the 80’s, I worked at Newton during various holidays as a “casual”.
I recognised the scenes and almost everyone in the photos - great memories! Comment left on 26 November 2021 at 13:47 by Steven Duncan