The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Growing passion for printed past of agriculture
NOWADAYSAGRICULTURE, like every other walk of life, benefits or otherwise from the new information-sharing technology.
In the farm office, in-between answering texts and responding to emails, the modern farmer can access the latest agri-political and business news via the internet.
Latest commodity prices along with seed and fertiliser availability and feedstuff analysis are all available at the touch of a mouse.
Modern machinery specifications can be downloaded from websites almost instantly.
Such is the ability of the new technology that a machinery manufacturer can actually telephone to make sure nobody is near a machine before starting it up from headquarters in another country and run it up for tests, all monitored by the computer systems back at the factory.
Information overload is a much-used phrase today, but it is not so long ago that information could only come via the printed word.
Farming publications were abundant as all sectors used paper hard-copy and photographic prints to get the message across.
Many of the publications of the past have disappeared into the mists of time as publishers rationalise operations.
Thankfully, The Courier takes a lead in reporting agriculture — but the big nationals seem to have decided not to cover the subject.
Various agricultural agencies big and small offer publications from time-to-time, as do many of the breed societies, feed companies, plant breeders, fuel companies and agri-chemical manufacturers.
In any machinery dealer’s showroom prospective buyers can still pick up any amount of brochures on a wide range of farm equipment.
In days gone by these brochures offered at agricultural shows throughout the summer months were a great target for young tractordaft loons — the scourge of the salesmen who guarded the racks of pamphlets in military fashion, in between keeping an eye on the old unlockable tractor cabs that the loons would sneak into.
Any of these old brochures which have survived will now likely be much sought after by today’s vintage machinery enthusiasts.
Indeed, the collecting of these brochures and other printed ephemera relating to farming’s past has become a passion and hobby all of its own.
Farming heritage is also served well by a raft of its own specialist magazines.
In the classif ied section of these magazines are adverts for numerous period publications for sale or being sought after by collectors.
Any trawl through internet auction sites will flag-up publications for sale, while auction companies report much interest in literature at specialist sales throughout the country.
So what is get excited collections?
At the start it was tractor instruction manuals, parts books and service data relating to the tractors being restored by enthusiasts.
Then the brochures for these machines came on to the radar.
Now, all types of machinery brochures have their collectors.
While material relating to really old and rare equipment is very much in demand, some of the material for popular machines is always wanted.
Other publications by machinery manufacturers are also sought after, such as albums, diaries, calendars, yearbooks, in-house magazines, catalogues, headed notepaper, labels and packaging material.
Some of these items include the MasseyHarris Album, David Brown Tractor News and Ford Motor Company’s Farm magazine.
Period farming publications have also it in particular that people about and add to their appreciated in recent years — old copies of publications like Farming News, Farm Mechanization, Power Farmer and Farmer and Stockbreeder.
Printed material from individual machinery dealers is always treasured, especially in the area.
Livestock publications have begun to find favour in a broader sense with herd and flock books, sale and show catalogues all proving popular.
Material relating to crops again is starting to become collectable, with interest shown in seed catalogues, sample and seed sachets, pesticide lists and agency recommendations all generating interest.
Not quite printed material in the purest sense are jute sacks that have printed legends of feedstuffs, local feed mills and seed merchants and old grain and potato varieties.
Text books that go back much further than the days of tractors and gleaming machinery have always been sought after by a different breed of collector who appreciates the quality of a book bound in leather.
Many old agricultural encyclopaedias and breed histories are presented in this way and can be objects of great beauty.
Period photographs are also much appreciated by a whole host of collectors depending on the age, location and subject matter.
Again, not strictly printed ephemera are the lapel badges, tie pins, flags, banners and posters, branded clothing, oil cans, pencils and pens, ash trays and gifts relating to agricultural products that take the fancy.