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 cover the grain crop, grass and silage (see fuller contents below). The machines include those that went successfully into production as well as 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)

The grain harvest

Oliver grain-down reel
Albion binder with crop-gatherer reel
Experimental direct-attached binder
Experimental Claas trailed combine
Claas super combine with trusser
Allis-Chalmers Allcrop 60
Grain Marshall combine
John Deere 55 self-propelled bagger combine
John Deere 12A trailed combine
Cockshutt SP 112 bagger combine
Zickerman automatic loose straw stacker
Wild harvest thresher Model 50
Shearer header harvester

The hay crop

Quorn windrower attachment
Blackstone spring-tine turner
Martin swath turner
Nicholson swath turner and side rake
F W Pike lifter-transporter

Balers and loaders

Allis-Chalmers round baler
New Holland twine-tying baler
International 50T baler
McCormick Deering 45 pick-up baler
Land Rover and 45 pick-up baler
Bale loaders

Silage and forage harvesting

Traxcavator
Harvesting kale for silage
Allis-Chalmers forage harvester (1)
Allis-Chalmers forage harvester (2)
Fox River forage harvester
McCormick Deering forage harvester
John Deere ensiling harvester
McCormick Deering No. 2 forage harvester