This programme uses extracts from a collection of silent films made by the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering over a period of about ten years from 1945. Some of the films record machinery working in the field, others show experimental farm machines designed by the NIAE at Askham Bryan in Yorkshire and from 1948 at Silsoe. They include manure spreaders, hedgers, ploughs, potato spinners, potato and root harvesters (see fuller contents below). Some of the machines went successfully into production; others are rarities whose development was curtailed.

The NIAE’s film record was professionally made. The prints from which this compilation has been drawn are in the collection of the British Agricultural Archive Film Unit and are reproduced by courtesy of Richard Watts.

Brian Bell, author of 24 books and DVDs on farm machinery, has researched the footage to provide an informative commentary narrated by Chris Opperman. The original material is silent, some in black and white, though later films are in colour.

Fuller Contents

(Scene selections in red)

Manure loading and spreading

Painter FYM manure loader
Thwaites FYM loader
Dungledozer
Wild Thwaites field heap spreader
International 200 manure spreader
Baker hedge trimmer

Ploughs

Experimental NIAE one-way ploughs
Cultharrow, trailed spike tooth and disc harrows

Small tractors and cultivators

Trusty
British Anzani Iron Horse
Rowtrac
Bean rowcrop tractor and attachments
Wild Midget tool chassis
Coleby cultivator
Byron tractor

The potato crop

Dollé one-row potato planter
Lanz spinner
Tamkin potato spinner
Scoop-type lifter
Disc and spiral drum
Disc and twin shakers
Haulm removal
NIAE experimental potato harvester
Packman potato harvester

Sugar beet

Douglas single-row root gapper
Thinners
Sugar beet toppers
Catchpole top saver
Mern topper
Fordson two-row harvester
Caby sugar beet harvester 1948
John Salmon beet harvester
NIAE groundnut harvester