Over centuries man has tilled the soil by ‘towing’ a plough or other implement across a field. Originally the power was supplied by oxen, donkeys or horses. In the 19th century steam was used and this was followed by the internal combustion engine in the form of a tractor. The accent here is on ‘towing’ which was common to all these systems but, viewed in retrospect, has many disadvantages for tractor haulage.

In the 1920s these disadvantages were recognised and addressed by an Irishman, Harry Ferguson, and following a period of experimentation and evolution he developed a system whereby a variety of implements become part of the tractor by using a simple three point mounting. The use of hydraulics and the simple mechanics of weight transfer completely transformed not just the ploughing process but many other procedures in agriculture. Initially he struggled to have the system accepted but today almost all of the world’s tractors utilise the three point Ferguson System which results in more efficient tilling of the soil, greater land use and consequently increased production.