Ferguson Split

Fergie Ploughman · Apr 15, 2018

Does anyone know the history of the Ferguson single split and why it was used?

Is it an American thing?

Does it harp back to the Sherman plough era?

arcobob · Apr 15, 2018

Do you mean the single furrow each way, with or without the small centre strip. That was the way I was taught in the early sixties and it was very difficult especiallt with a rolling landside. When I started ploughing again after a 40 year break I was glad to see the change.

Roy Stokes · Apr 15, 2018

Ferguson split be buggered, The Ferguson plough hand book explains how it's done but so does Ransomes good ploughing, It was the universal split in the 50's and 60's, probably a left over from horse ploughing where a single split was the only option, and was the ploughmans way of ensuring that no solid compacted earth was left in the centre of the crown or start, the reason it's known as a Ferguson split is that the Ferguson club like to do everything as per the hand book, however at national level you are allowed either split, at local level some insist on the single split, some run by national rules

Fergie Ploughman · Apr 15, 2018

Ok, I can see the logic, quite difficult to do a double split with a single furrow! I didn’t really think about horse ploughing! Doh!

I suppose with the Fergie plough book being written in the 40/50’s that’s what you did!

MrNoo · Apr 15, 2018

Never score well with a Fergie split, used to do them when I started and was told countless times I would never score well with them. But was asked to do one at a recent match which was quite interesting and actually went well, managed a nice 2" step all along and it was straight'ish for a change, think it scored 14. But wouldn't do one normally.

Ley253 · Apr 15, 2018

Really no such thing. Its a ploughing method, either a double split with the rear body both ways, or with rear one, and front the other. The former was all we did in the late 60s early 70s. Then quite suddenly everyone started using the latter, this was then followed up with chipping a bit in to rest the crown furrows on. There was a method using the rear both ways and leaving a strip unploughed, but again it was a ploughing method, nothing to do with a plough manufacturer.

Roy Stokes · Apr 15, 2018

I think where the single or Ferguson split as it's become known is used an 11 furrow start with the tractor positioned in the trench in the bottom works better than the more common 12 furrow start, tickle a bit in with the front furrow and lay a good one over the top of it as in a grass land start

Roy Stokes · Apr 15, 2018

MrNoo said:
Never score well with a Fergie split, used to do them when I started and was told countless times I would never score well with them. But was asked to do one at a recent match which was quite interesting and actually went well, managed a nice 2" step all along and it was straight'ish for a change, think it scored 14. But wouldn't do one normally.

The trick is not to get too deep on the first one then when turning the next one out the landside being 2 inches lower ( step) has something to hold on to, or so it seemed when I had a go, disappointed about Denbighshire, was right looking forward to doing everything as per Ferguson hand book !

Ley253 · Apr 15, 2018

Builth and Hereford next W/E.

Roy Stokes · Apr 16, 2018

Ley253 said:
Builth and Hereford next W/E.

Sharon is using the Ferguson tractor/plough outfit locally on Saturday, recent weather patterns have made it impossible to take more than one day out of a weekend and that one day is pushing the boundaries

Pennine Ploughing · Apr 16, 2018

Roy Stokes said:
Sharon is using the Ferguson tractor/plough outfit locally on Saturday, recent weather patterns have made it impossible to take more than one day out of a weekend and that one day is pushing the boundaries

stop complaining Roy, it's good to push the boundaries with the other half,

Ley253 · Apr 16, 2018

Roy Stokes said:
Sharon is using the Ferguson tractor/plough outfit locally on Saturday, recent weather patterns have made it impossible to take more than one day out of a weekend and that one day is pushing the boundaries

I suppose we should be grateful that its dried up enough to do other work, hard though!

MrNoo · Apr 16, 2018

Roy Stokes said:
Sharon is using the Ferguson tractor/plough outfit locally on Saturday, recent weather patterns have made it impossible to take more than one day out of a weekend and that one day is pushing the boundaries

I am sure we can bring up a Fergie+plough on the back of Trevor's lorry if need be? Do have Marie's TEF and her plough sat there ready to go. We are at Leicester Sat and Hereford Sun, am sure they could fit you in at either. PM me and I can sort it.

Roy Stokes · Apr 16, 2018

MrNoo said:
I am sure we can bring up a Fergie+plough on the back of Trevor's lorry if need be? Do have Marie's TEF and her plough sat there ready to go. We are at Leicester Sat and Hereford Sun, am sure they could fit you in at either. PM me and I can sort it.

Andrew Millington is putting on a match at short notice this Saturday, Sharon is ploughing Fergie and I am Classic, I have another Ferguson plough on the way and a choice of grey tractors under the shed so we might both plough Fergie after the national but until then I'm sticking with the Ransomes as that's what I've qualified with, I entered Fergy at Denbighshire as I liked the idea of no weights and flat bar toplink, seemed like a bit of fun, weather put paid to that fun,
My spring barley is at 3 leaf stage Chris, is yours in the ground ?

MrNoo · Apr 16, 2018

Roy Stokes said:
My spring barley is at 3 leaf stage Chris, is yours in the ground ?

Stuff planted 2 weeks ago is just in row where it wasn't waterlogged and been on today but will be running out of dry fields to plant shortly, that's clay caps for you!!! About 100 acres left to drill, hence why not overly fussed re ploughing this w-end as needs to dry some!!!

Roy Stokes · Apr 18, 2018

MrNoo said:
Stuff planted 2 weeks ago is just in row where it wasn't waterlogged and been on today but will be running out of dry fields to plant shortly, that's clay caps for you!!! About 100 acres left to drill, hence why not overly fussed re ploughing this w-end as needs to dry some!!!

Also running out of dry fields to travel, Rape has had to have final N due to height for the spreader but ruts are plenty, ploughing matches this next season is going to be tramline hell !

Ray996 · Apr 18, 2018

Roy Stokes said:
Also running out of dry fields to travel, Rape has had to have final N due to height for the spreader but ruts are plenty, ploughing matches this next season is going to be tramline hell !

Competition tramline leveling!

rick_vandal · Apr 24, 2018

Fergie Ploughman said:
Ok, I can see the logic, quite difficult to do a double split with a single furrow! I didn’t really think about horse ploughing! Doh!

I suppose with the Fergie plough book being written in the 40/50’s that’s what you did!

We have all read that book, tried doing it in one pass!

Ferguson Split

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