Ashton-on-Makerfield Ploughing Society held a charity ploughing day on February 22 with a theme of showing how tractors have progressed through the years, writes Kim Jackson. George Halsall was the main organiser and farmers Alan and Edwina Abbott hosted the event at their Fir Tree Farm at Rainford, St Helens, Lancashire. Proceeds will go to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution. The oldest tractors there were two green Fordson Ns and one Ford Ferguson, so some 70 years of ploughing were displayed. One of the Ns, a green 1943 example, belonged to Ian Bentley and he was operating a trailed Ransomes Motrac Number 7 plough. Neither Standard Fordson had its original engine; both now contain Perkins diesels. Ford moved forward in 1945, launching its E27N Major, and the Major name carried on under various guises such as E1A, Power, Super and New Performance until 1965.
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