The Farm Tractor Handbook, George Sherwood. Hardback book, 175mm x 122mm, 224 pages inc. 61 black and white photos and 58 line illustrations. ISBN: 978-1-908397-20-1. Now in stock at Old Pond at £14.95.
First published in 1918 to show the range of tractors working in Britain at that time, The Farm Tractor Handbook is now a collector’s item. This edition is a complete facsimile.
By 1918 the case for the agricultural tractor had been made and there were many companies producing a wide range of designs. Author George Sherwood’s aim was to help the farmer ‘choose out of the ever-growing number of different makes'.
He begins with some principles: the internal combustion engine; carburation, lubrication and cooling; ignition; transmission and steering. Throughout these chapters clear cut-away diagrams are supplemented by photographs of the tractors of the day.
George Sherwood gives practical information on starting and repairs. A chapter on horsepower and drawbar pull leads on to major sections on the different types of tractor and plough, and then to ploughing itself and belt work. Final chapters deal with steam ploughing - then coming to the end of its 60-year era - and converting a touring car into a tractor. According to the Rejax advetisement 'Many Fords are lying idle. Use them to increase the capacity of your limited labour and of your land'.
An Appendix lists the principal tractor makers and agents in the United Kingdom. There is a full index and there are also some fifty advertisements from the agricultural engineering companies of the time.
The book includes tractor designs which were short-lived and exist, if anywhere, as rarities, such as Martin’s Self-Contained Three-Furrow Motor Plough. At the other extreme, the Fordson makes its appearance.
This book can claim to have made a significant contribution to the body of knowledge which increased the acceptance of the farm tractor in the United Kingdom.
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