Mark 1 Dexta at Welsh ploughing match
David
Dexta ploughing
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David in Wales
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Dexta ploughing
Mark 1 Dexta at Welsh ploughing match
David
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David in Wales
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The plough is a trailed plough not connected to the lift, just the drawbar. Its a Ransomes I think and was originally used behind the Model N. Dates from the 1930's or 1940's.
Tractor will be after 1958 but more likely 1959 or 1960 as they only made around 150 Dextas in 58.
Tractor will be after 1958 but more likely 1959 or 1960 as they only made around 150 Dextas in 58.
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Brian
Brian
Ploughing matches are not a way of getting your fields ploughed free 
Normally they have to be ploughed again after the matches because the field has lots of different plots all ploughed to different standards.
Some have "learner" plots which have very variable quality of work.
On "Plough Days" anyone can bring any type or condition of plough. Some people bring ploughs straight out of the hedge and the quality of work is very bad. Sometimes you get a ploughman like me who can produce a reasonable standard of work but who can't finish to save his life and leaves a deep furrow.
When I go ploughing with Mark, Brian and Edward we take an E27N P6 and rotovator to hide all our mistakes
Normally they have to be ploughed again after the matches because the field has lots of different plots all ploughed to different standards.Some have "learner" plots which have very variable quality of work.
On "Plough Days" anyone can bring any type or condition of plough. Some people bring ploughs straight out of the hedge and the quality of work is very bad. Sometimes you get a ploughman like me who can produce a reasonable standard of work but who can't finish to save his life and leaves a deep furrow.
When I go ploughing with Mark, Brian and Edward we take an E27N P6 and rotovator to hide all our mistakes
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Brian
Brian
OK, yes, see that it is trailed, but more to what I am looking at is the frame fitted to the back of the tractor.
Is that part of the plough system, or just another bit of kit left on the tractor.
In the first picture it seems the driver has his right hand on adjuster that you can see in the second picture. First furrow width maybe?, adjust the pull point left and right?
Is that part of the plough system, or just another bit of kit left on the tractor.
In the first picture it seems the driver has his right hand on adjuster that you can see in the second picture. First furrow width maybe?, adjust the pull point left and right?
Ploughing matches started way back in the 18th and 19th century when farm workers would walk around the villages on Sundays, looking over the hedges and judging their work against their neighbors.
Work is judged on the "opening split" or "top" being set up correctly so that it is straight, all the land cut and all the surface vegetation buried. This was important to reduce the weed growth on the freshly turned land.
As the work progresses it must all be level and in most matches a straight edge is laid across the furrows and the top to check this. Points are given for the quality of work, the evenness of depth and the burying of the surface trash at an even depth. The setting in at the start of the work must be even and level with no "hog troughs" and curves.
Some work uses "boats" trailed behind the bodies to produce a pronounced grove as the furrows turn, This was usually done in spring ploughing when seed was sown by hand. It fell into the grooves and could be easily covered by a harrow pulling the ridges down. It was also done in areas of heavy clay soils, in the winter, so that the weather and frost worked on the raised areas and produced a tilth without the number of passes that would normally be needed.
Some matches set the plots so that the finish is at an angle to the work. These are called "Skeuts" here in Norfolk. It means that all the furrows must start and end at a different point when they reach the headlands at the plot ends. The headland then has to be ploughed and is judged for level and evenness.
The final furrows must be exactly the working cut of the plough and the ploughman must have measured and adjusted his plough throughout the plot so that this can be achieved. In the last furrow, the front furrow of the plough must turn the piece of land that is left and the rear furrow must pull a little loose soil from the last turned furrow to produce as shallow a furrow as possible. This would enable the land to be leveled easily for the drill.
It is all to test the skill of the ploughman but in my opinion we have slightly lost the plot. In Championship matches, in stubble work, the plots are cleared of most surface vegetation to allow the ploughmen to plough with little challenge. When they plough grassland, this is all short cut grass and nicely level going. They also use special ploughs designed purely for match work.
I have been involved in demonstration and ploughing all my life since following my father down the furrow, behind a horse and plough, at a very early age. I like to see work where the surface trash has to be buried correctly and not removed from the field. Also, when ploughing grass in, this is sometimes very tall and the skill of burying is something to behold. I once helped a Ford demonstrator to set a plough to bury 4ft high mustard with a five furrow plough behind a Ford 9600. It was a revelation because after he had set the plough, there was not a piece of green plant visible in the field.
Sorry for the long post, in short it is ploughmen testing their skills against each other.
I have judged matches and competed in a small way. Its great fun.
Work is judged on the "opening split" or "top" being set up correctly so that it is straight, all the land cut and all the surface vegetation buried. This was important to reduce the weed growth on the freshly turned land.
As the work progresses it must all be level and in most matches a straight edge is laid across the furrows and the top to check this. Points are given for the quality of work, the evenness of depth and the burying of the surface trash at an even depth. The setting in at the start of the work must be even and level with no "hog troughs" and curves.
Some work uses "boats" trailed behind the bodies to produce a pronounced grove as the furrows turn, This was usually done in spring ploughing when seed was sown by hand. It fell into the grooves and could be easily covered by a harrow pulling the ridges down. It was also done in areas of heavy clay soils, in the winter, so that the weather and frost worked on the raised areas and produced a tilth without the number of passes that would normally be needed.
Some matches set the plots so that the finish is at an angle to the work. These are called "Skeuts" here in Norfolk. It means that all the furrows must start and end at a different point when they reach the headlands at the plot ends. The headland then has to be ploughed and is judged for level and evenness.
The final furrows must be exactly the working cut of the plough and the ploughman must have measured and adjusted his plough throughout the plot so that this can be achieved. In the last furrow, the front furrow of the plough must turn the piece of land that is left and the rear furrow must pull a little loose soil from the last turned furrow to produce as shallow a furrow as possible. This would enable the land to be leveled easily for the drill.
It is all to test the skill of the ploughman but in my opinion we have slightly lost the plot. In Championship matches, in stubble work, the plots are cleared of most surface vegetation to allow the ploughmen to plough with little challenge. When they plough grassland, this is all short cut grass and nicely level going. They also use special ploughs designed purely for match work.
I have been involved in demonstration and ploughing all my life since following my father down the furrow, behind a horse and plough, at a very early age. I like to see work where the surface trash has to be buried correctly and not removed from the field. Also, when ploughing grass in, this is sometimes very tall and the skill of burying is something to behold. I once helped a Ford demonstrator to set a plough to bury 4ft high mustard with a five furrow plough behind a Ford 9600. It was a revelation because after he had set the plough, there was not a piece of green plant visible in the field.
Sorry for the long post, in short it is ploughmen testing their skills against each other.
I have judged matches and competed in a small way. Its great fun.
Fordson Tractor Pages, now officially linked to: Fordson Tractor Club of Australia, Ford and Fordson Association and Blue Force.
Brian
Brian
I once helped a Ford demonstrator to set a plough to bury 4ft high mustard with a five furrow plough behind a Ford 9600. It was a revelation because after he had set the plough, there was not a piece of green plant visible in the field.
Brian,
How did he set up the plow for the height of the vegetation, sometimes I have problems in the spring to get all the green plants under the ground. I have a Ford with two 14 inch ploughs on it.
Brian,
How did he set up the plow for the height of the vegetation, sometimes I have problems in the spring to get all the green plants under the ground. I have a Ford with two 14 inch ploughs on it.
See ya
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
Mark
When all else fails, get a bigger hammer
With the 9600 we were running on top. That meant that the wheels ran the crop down for the first furrow. We then ran a chain between the furrows to bend the crop down and then set the skimmers to just roll a shallow cut into the bottom of the furrow. The skimmers have to be set just right as they can either block or if set at too shallow an angle, can leave the trash near the surface.
Everything has to be set to maintain a flow through the plough as any lumps caused by blockages will be at the top of the turned slice.
If you are using trash boards, these tend to leave the trash to the top of the turned furrow slice and green can be left on the surface.
Everything has to be set to maintain a flow through the plough as any lumps caused by blockages will be at the top of the turned slice.
If you are using trash boards, these tend to leave the trash to the top of the turned furrow slice and green can be left on the surface.
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Brian
Brian
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Jos Cuypers
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- Location: Tongeren - Belgium
Had the same issues in the past.I have problems in the spring to get all the green plants under the ground. I have a Ford with two 14 inch ploughs on it.
Using a Nuffield with a small plough, I first used the meadow-cutter (mower).
ok, it takes more time, but I did not care...
Rgds
Jos
My dexta has 32 Horse power, but a donkey behind the steering wheel.
Jos
My dexta has 32 Horse power, but a donkey behind the steering wheel.
Mark,
A trash board is an extension to the top of the mould board and at a slight angle to it. Any trash that rides up on the top of the furrow slice is, in theory, turned into the bottom of the furrow.
A trash board is an extension to the top of the mould board and at a slight angle to it. Any trash that rides up on the top of the furrow slice is, in theory, turned into the bottom of the furrow.
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Brian
Brian
Neil,
Its not very clear but I think it is a drawbar frame mounted onto the axle brackets for the top link. It looks as if he has a continental raised drawbar as well.
Its not very clear but I think it is a drawbar frame mounted onto the axle brackets for the top link. It looks as if he has a continental raised drawbar as well.
Last edited by Brian on Fri Jul 11, 2008 9:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Brian
Brian