A Blast from the Past 17 The Old Seed Fiddle

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
It'll be the big rich farmers that had them.;) I'd half a hessian sack with a bit of baler twine to go over the neck, then get into a rhythm flinging seed left and right with the appropriate hand alternately as you walk along!:)
 
Still got dads here. Never used it myself.......although "negotiations" with the Vicon every year make it very tempting.:)

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I've got one just the same, in similar order, except the bow is broken. Dad got it somewhere when we were kids, but I don't remember him using it.

Are there people who can supply all the right stuff to do them up? I hesitate to use the word "parts"!
 

7610 super q

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
Had another look at mine today.....cardboard instructions gone I'm afraid. Lucky it's still here at all really, had 2 massive clear outs in the last decade.....nearly gone in the skip twice.:oops:
 

Mostly this wik

New Member
Location
Worcestershire
Just read all this about seed fiddles I have just bought one off ebay for sentimental reasons, I remember the old chap sowing acres and acres of grass seeds when I was a kid, dont know what happened to his old one probably got left behind when we moved. You can buy all the bits for them on ebay just got a new spinner for the one I bought from Dungannon. The seed rate chart off the back is missing if you have one Owd Fred I would really like one please.
 

SMID

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Sorn Ayrshire
I might be wide of the mark but were they made by a sort of franchisee in various locations ? they were made a mile from here ,2 generations of the Withers family worked at it the DLK stenciled on them was David Lauder , Kilmarnock, the ironmonger who sold them.
 

Roy_H

Member
It'll be the big rich farmers that had them.;) I'd half a hessian sack with a bit of baler twine to go over the neck, then get into a rhythm flinging seed left and right with the appropriate hand alternately as you walk along!:)
Apparently they always liked to sow oats a bit thicker than they would wheat or barley and back in the days when they used to use a skip/ fiddle / sack for broadcasting seed corn they used to say " Get a lame man for sowing your oats."
( Now for a string of "Sowing your oats" innuendos no doubt ):whistle:
 
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I have two, one in working order I use most years for grass seed on ditch spoil. The "thong" has broken a couple of times on the end so getting a bit short and the bag is held together with grey tape. I also have the kidney shaped trough seeder, never used it but cannot throw it.
 

Greer Lowe

Member
Mixed Farmer
I'm coming in a bit late on this conversation but have only recently taken an interest as I'm doing up one owned by my father. Mine was made by a James Boucher from Ballygowan, Co Down. It's in good order but is missing it's bow and wang - anyone know where I could get one?
 

Greer Lowe

Member
Mixed Farmer
Just read all this about seed fiddles I have just bought one off ebay for sentimental reasons, I remember the old chap sowing acres and acres of grass seeds when I was a kid, dont know what happened to his old one probably got left behind when we moved. You can buy all the bits for them on ebay just got a new spinner for the one I bought from Dungannon. The seed rate chart off the back is missing if you have one Owd Fred I would really like one please.
The trail may have gone a bit cold - but could you please tell me who your contact in Dungannon was for fiddle parts? I need a bow and wang. Thanks
 
Location
Suffolk
The trail may have gone a bit cold - but could you please tell me who your contact in Dungannon was for fiddle parts? I need a bow and wang. Thanks
The bow is a piece of 12mm dowel although I have a hollow fibreglass rod and 4mm round leather lacing plus new stop springs. GT version. The handle and stopper fit although you could find a local wood turner to make new items. That's the fun bit. My wife made a super sized linen bag I have to look around for the first thirty paces but this saves visiting the top up station so often. I used copper nails and small pieces of treated batten to re-fix this.
Main failure I see in those for sale now (they have a firm and quite high price) is woodworm infestation but I would certainly make spares from my timber stack. Treat with a linseed/turpentine and cuprinol solution for best woodworm eradication.
The spinner, back plate and springs were available and do pop up on ebay from time to time. I have a few spares for my swallows nest fiddle from these peeps.
SS
 

xmilkr

Member
Got 2 here, used one last year to drill very small paddock, remember in the 60 s 70 s drilling all our small seeds with them, a nice day and a nice cross wind was essential to get good cover.
 
Some of you may remember that I promoted my new magazine on this very forum a few years ago , lots of hints & tips in every issue . [emoji849]
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Pennine Ploughing

Member
Mixed Farmer
either pine or oak if you’re an arable farmer who wants to impress his neighbours .
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You forgot the full attire, a full 3 piece "Harris tweed" suit, a "Gucci" fine woven checked shirt, c/w a quality old private school tie, along with a Harris Tweed cap, plus 4s and "Ray-Ban" sunglasses, oh and the concealed hip flask with a wee dram for cold mornings, dressed like that ever day, just so you think their off to do some jobs on a shooting morning, 😆 🤣 😂 ,
Don't get me wrong its not all new kit their wearing, its just last years clothes as they needs the new colours for this shooting season, 😆 😂

Bit different to a livestock farmer, that wears a second hand Hi-viz jacket he got off a lorry driver down the pub, trouble is pubs been shut that long, its gone from a crisp clean yellow to a cow sh1t shade of brown with mould growing out of it, leggings that have more rips from barbed wire than the daughters new stylish jeans that they think is fashionable, and old pair of Nora wellies that are no longer watertight from hours on end in the milking parlour, but to good to throw out, so use them on dry field sowing days too save the good ones, and to top it all off, 1 of those deputy dog hats, you know the type, the ones that have ear flaps the either press stud up on top, or under the chin on cold days to keep the ears warm, yet the press studs no longer work, and they just flap about in the wind, the rest of the hat has melted bits and burned, where they used the hat like a welding mat to lift some hot metal they were welding, as they had no time to wait of it cooling, unlike arable farmers, they would go for a cup of tea in the house for half an hour, farmers a very bright in general, but never seem to get the fact of, nylon and heat don't mix well, 😉
As for time keeping, the arable farmer will have a pocket watch on a chain on his waist coat, so he knows the time to return to the house for lunch, where as the livestock farmer, is always to hunt by the wife, either by phone, or shouting "Dinner time " 😠 🤬 😡,
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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