THE FERGUSON SYSTEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26693, 12 February 1948, Page 9

THE FERGUSON SYSTEM

New British Ferguson Tractors and Implements Coming Soon

The Ferguson System of tractor farming is not unknown here, as limited quantities of American Ford Tractor —Ferguson System have been available since 1945. But, due to the supply position, publicity concerning it has been curtailed.

The scheme was originally put into being by the Ferguson-Brown Company making the Ferguson Tractor in Huddersfield, England, from 1936 to 1939. Through the success of this Ferguson tractor and Ferguson Farm Machinery, the late Henry Ford became interested in the Ferguson System and entered into an agreement with Mr Harry Ferguson whereby the Ford Motor Company in America produced the Ford tractor with Ferguson System to Mr Ferguson’s designs. Mr Ferguson became president of the newly-formed Ferguson-Sherman Corporation, which came into being as a sales company for the Ford-Ferguson tractor and a manufacturing and sales company for Ferguson implements. At the end of 1946 some 260,000 tractors had been produced, and the production has averaged 400 tractors per day. Pursuing the global plan, Mr Ferguson then took his design back to Britain. His tractor is now being built under contract by the Standard Motor Company of Coventry. In approaching the Ferguson System of tractor farming it must be understood that the tractor is considered to be only one part of a complete machine for each specific farm operation. The design is therefore dominated largely by the idea that the tractor will always work in conjunction with some other piece of equipment.

In combination, the tractor and its attachment provide a single tool for a particular job. To this end, certain special design features or characteristics are embodied, the object being to secure maximum adaptability and ease of operation. Real adaptability implies a rapid and simple change of attachments such as plough, harrovy, cultivator, etc., and with this must go various other characteristics, built into the tractor itself, so that the best use is made of the attachment, and when united the two function as an entity. When, for example, the tractor and the plough are joined up, the various tasks are performed as by a single machine designed for the specific purpose of ploughing. The same objective

is followed in all the equipment, which comprises at present a total of 16 components. Each is designed on the same basis, namely, that when attached, the tractor and implement form one working unit. The actions of coupling up and detaching are so arranged that they can be carried out in minimum time. Implement Control Each implement has one major control—the lift of the plough, the angle of the discs, the lift of the mower, etc.; and this control is so arranged that it can be operated with little effort on the part of the driver by means of a small lever working in conjunction with a hydraulic cylinder and pump attached to the tractor. In the case of ploughs and cultivators, etc., the hydraulic control holds the implement at a pre-determined depth. This is made possible by a hydraulic “ balancing ” mechanism which regulates the depth of cut according to the implement’s draft, thus allowing it to follow the contours of the ground. When the draft exceeds a certain limit, the implement is automatically raised. Three-Point Hitch Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the Ferguson System is the three-point hitch. The two lower hitch points are in the normal drawbar position. The third point is above them. Thus the pull of the implement exerts a pushing force above the point of draft. This spreads the load over all four wheels and keeps the front of the tractor down. Should an obstruction be encountered the effect of the increased pull releases the hydraulic pressure, thus taking the weight of the implement from the tractor and allowing the rear wheels to, slip. The Ferguson tractor is specially adapted for row-crop work. The front wheel track is adjustable from 48in to 80in, the rear track is adjustable from 52in to 76in. These extensions are carried out in 4in steps. The Ferguson system of farming will enable farmers to reduce production costs, increase output and materially assist in the drive for greater food supplies for Britain. —Advt.