MODERN PLOUGHING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 July 1939, Page 6

MODERN PLOUGHING

GREYTOWN DEMONSTRATION.

BREAKING ROUGH & STONY LAND

What modern farm machinery can do to even the most difficult country was clearly demonstrated at Woodside, Greytown, today, when a special ploughing demonstration on rough and stony land was conducted by Messrs Levin and Co., Ltd.. Masterton, in association with Dominion Motors. Ltd., of Wellington and Reid and Gray Ltd., of Dunedin.

The ploughing is being carried out on the property of Mr P. J. Borthwick. Some 1,700 acres of stony country, overgrown with brush and gorse, will be ploughed and later worked into permanent pasture. For today’s demonstration a model WKO Allis-Chalmers frac-type tractor was used to haul a massive doublefurrow Reid and Gray plough. Despite stones, roots and brushwood, the plough turned its furrow’s regularly and at a depth of 8 and more inches. The speed was remarkable and those farmers who were present found great interest in the ease with which the land was turned over.

Following the ploughing of this area, the contract for which is held by Messrs Feist Bros., of Greytown, as disc harrows could not stand up to the heavy ground will be broken up further with a form of harrow’s made from steel bars or railway irons. Some of the land will then be put down in root crops and some in pasture. The stones will be rolled in and it is anticipated that a splendid permanent pasture will eventually result. Today’s demonstration was attended by Mr R. F. Wyatt, Allis-Chalmers factory representative in New Zealand; Mr J. Peacock, manager of the Tractor Division of Dominion Motors. Ltd.; Mi T. M. Lee. Wairarapa representative for Allis-Chalmers; Mr D. Cooper, of Levin and Co., Ltd., and Mr R. E. Belgrave, plough engineer from Palmerston North. The demonstration will be continued tomorrow’.