twenty-first annual sale . Gill &apos;s growingly-popular event . John H Gill &amp; Sons ( Leeming Bar ) , Ltd , Leeming Bar , Northallerton , Yorks , recently celebrated their 21st annual sale of second-hand machinery . to mark the event a dinner dance was held at the Scotch Corner Hotel and upwards of 200 farmers , friends , and staff were present . while it was a second-hand machinery sale that was celebrated , the main feature in the ballroom was a new Massey-Ferguson tractor , which shone quite brilliantly under the spotlight . we understand that , while it excited much attention , it did not intrude in any way on the dancing . Mr John H Gill , the founder of the firm , together with his sons , Messrs John Arthur , Robert William , and Frank ( who are all in the business ) , were , naturally , much in demand , as was Mr John Sterne , of York , the Massey-Ferguson area manager . the highest price obtained at the sale itself was &amp;pound;1,000 for a combine , while a tractor sold for &amp;pound;400 . we are informed that these sales are proving growingly successful , there being four times as much machinery at this last one compared with the first . Standen expansion . such is the demand for the sugar beet harvesting and other machinery manufactured by F A Standen &amp; Sons Ltd , Ely , Cambs , that they are already having an extension built to their new factory , and our illustration shows the progress that is being made in this latest enterprise . Wallace &apos;s become Fordson dealers . directors at signing ceremony . the signing of a Fordson tractor main dealer agreement between John Wallace &amp; Sons ( Ayr ) , Ltd , Ayr , and the tractor division of the Ford motor Co , Ltd , Dagenham , Essex , took place recently . the sales operations manager of the tractor division , Mr M MacDonald , was present - as our photograph shows - to greet two directors of Messrs Wallace , Mr J Thompson and Mr D K Henderson . this Scottish company has been actively engaged in the tractor business since 1924 , but its history goes back into the 18th century . the trading area served is one of small , well-managed farms , largely specialising in milk production and growing early potatoes . both directors believe in the closest personal contact with their customers . a large proportion of their business is conducted weekly at premises in Ayr &apos;s busy market . lively interest in irrigation . at Aberdeen conference . a one-day conference on irrigation , with the emphasis on organic irrigation , held at Westertown , nr Aberdeen , on May 11th , drew an attendance of over 600 people . it was sponsored by Farrow &amp; Sons , Ltd , Spalding , Lincs , and organised by Barclay , Ross &amp; Hutchinson , Ltd , of Aberdeen . undoubtedly , a factor contributing largely to the success of the conference was that it was held on the farm of Mr Maitland Mackie , Jun , where a complete organic irrigation system is installed as part of a large-scale slatted floor arrangement for dairy and beef herds . the first of the speakers , Mr Gordon Newman , manager of Reading University farm , confined his comments mainly to water irrigation . he emphasised the importance of trying to anticipate irrigation need , aired the view that in parts of Scotland irrigation is not an economic proposition , and roundly declared that irrigation is no excuse for poor cultivations and inadequate manuring . Mr Trevor Garbett , general manager of Farrow &amp; Sons , Ltd , put the case for organic irrigation and naturally pointed to the object lessons to be learned from Mr Mackie &apos;s installation . he claimed that organic irrigation fitted in with slatted floors , and went on to say that poultry houses , especially batteries , presented no problem . he added that sheep stored on slats are treated the same as cattle on slats . another point advanced by Mr Garbett was that his firm recommended the use of a piston pump for organic irrigation , although under certain circumstances a centrifugal pump might do the job . although with a piston pump , it was necessary to be fairly careful about what went into the pit , a great deal more could go in with little chance of any harm to the system than could be allowed with a centrifugal pump . the economics of organic and water irrigation systems - always an important matter - were presented by Mr John Nix , of Cambridge University School of agriculture . he acknowledged that the basic costs of organic irrigation could be fairly high , but stressed the economic benefits derived in the way of manurial value and labour saving . practical experience over the last two years with an organic irrigation system in the west country , i.e , at Ilminster , Somerset , was given by Mr David Hawthorne . he believed the system to be worthwhile because it got rid of the slurry , avoided wheel damage to the land , prevented river pollution , stopped the awful waste of nutrients , and thus enabled the farm to keep up a good level of production . the final word - an important one - came from Mr David Soutar , farm buildings adviser at the north of Scotland College . he urged that farmers should adopt a more progressive and positive attitude towards buildings in order to derive full advantage of the many new technical developments now being designed . but , Mr Soutar added , economy in labour in farm buildings is far less likely to be achieved through planning than by 100 per cent mechanisation , although the mass handling of stock and crop will continue to be developed , and the same basic principles of automation as now practised in industry will be adopted on the farm . Lundell 605 . latest double-chop forage-harvester . it is the snowballing interest in the mechanical feeding of livestock in various ways , mostly of American genesis , that lies behind the introduction of a new double-chop forage-harvester , demonstrated publicly for the first time on May 15th . the Lundell 605 off-set machine was originally shown by Lundell ( Great Britain ) , Ltd , Edenbridge , Kent , at the last Smithfield show ( Dec , p 1170 ) , and is really the John Deere 15A , which the British company is manufacturing under licence . we saw it at work in a fine crop of Italian rye grass &amp;sol; H.1 mixture , about 2 ft high , on Mr A S Cray &apos;s Southdown Farm , Medstead , nr Alton , Hants . the two rows of 16 specially-designed grapefruit flail knives on the 605 took the grass cleanly at about 2 in above ground , the width of cut being 60 in . from those knives the crop was whisked into a 12 in dia auger , housed above the flails , and eventually proffered to the secondary cutting assembly - which is also the fan . there are usually six cutting knives on this assembly , as on the present occasion , but three can be removed for coarser results . the length of the material varied from fragments of 1/2 in up to 4 in , and the average is said to be 2 in . the power requirement is about the same as for the well-known super 60 machine , and a Fordson Dexta had no difficulty in second gear , although a larger tractor would be needed for the fastest speeds of work . at &amp;pound;450 , the price is &amp;pound;55 up on the conventional flail machine . the shorter lengths of grass , however , allow easier handling by forage blowers , silo unloaders , auger feeders , side-unloading trailers and other associated equipment for the new techniques . but the material also handles well with a fore-loader , it is said , and has zero grazing possibilities as well . haymaking and wilting can be provided for by bolting back a hinged section in the top of the auger housing . consequently the crop flies straight over the auger and on to the field . Messrs Lundell say they are working on a maize attachment , but it will probably not be ready until 1962 . co-operating in the demonstration were the local Lundell dealers , Hyde Abbey motor works , Ltd , Winchester . ( reply card no E . 1132 ) . Massey-Ferguson tractors with foot-pedal direction change . torque converter models join industrial range . changing direction from forward to reverse purely by using the right foot is a feature of two of the tractors in the extended industrial range of Massey-Ferguson , Ltd , Coventry . this is done by combining shuttle transmissions with torque converters . there are altogether four new tractors and some other modifications and introductions . one of the innovations is a basic power unit , called the 203 tractor , on which the now established 710 digger and an improved 702 loader can be mounted . the 203 which succeeds the 702 tractor , incorporates the Perkins 3-A-152 diesel engine , with a maximum gross b.h.p of 38.4 , and the transmission and back axle of the 65 tractor . a particular quality of the engine is said to be good lugging power at low revs per min - a very necessary requirement of the construction industry . torque characteristics are excellent and power steering is fitted as standard . this latter provision cuts down operator fatigue considerably . topping-up is now much easier , for the regular points are accessible when the bonnet cover is lifted . there is a rugged 11 in.-dia dual clutch and the clutch assembly is self-ventilated . transmission brakes of the disc variety operate together or independently , with complete sealing against dirt and water . heavy cast wheels are employed instead of the previous steel disc ones . in spite of these improvements the price remains at &amp;pound;880 . when this basic unit is known as the 205 , the change of name indicates that it has both a torque converter and the instant reverse foot-operated direction change system . the instant reversing is actuated by an unusual accelerator , rather like a three-pronged fork , the centre prong being shorter than those outside , with a foot pedal at each extremity . pressure on the right of the pedals , as they face the driver , produces forward motion , while if the reverse direction is required , the left pedal is depressed instead , at which the tractor instantly goes into reverse . operating either side-pedal rotates , by a linkage device , a rocker valve , because of which oil from the control valve is directed to the clutch units in a shuttle transmission unit situated between the torque converter and a sliding mesh gear-box . the pedals act first as a clutch and then as a throttle . the centre pedal does not rotate the rocker valve . as a result , its only effect is to increase engine revolutions without vehicle motion in any direction . on this tractor there are two levers , each with two in-gear positions , providing 4 gears forward and reverse . another tractor incorporating the torque converter and this novel transmission is the 65R , one of the two new industrial versions of the 65 , the other being the 65S . these have the 4-A-203D Perkins engine and 58.3 gross maximum b.h.p . while the 65S with its more normal transmission has 6 forward gears and 2 reverse , the 65R , like the 205 , has 4 forward and reverse . prices of these two versions make interesting comparison : the 65S is &amp;pound;950 ex works , complete with dual brakes , horn and mirror , while the 65R is &amp;pound;1,150 with the same accessories . operating a tractor with the instant reverse facility is almost literally child &apos;s play . on any job requiring much stopping and starting - such as loading shale - it is a boon to have both hands free for the steering wheel and hydraulic loader , and the speed achieved by skilled operators is remarkable . the centre pedal can rev the engine to increase the speed at which the bucket lifts . brakes are on the side of the left foot and there is , of course , no clutch . instant reversing has been in America for about three years , many applications being in road rolling . another alteration in the range is that the hydraulics in the 702 loader are now of Cessna design and the break-away force consequently increases from 10,000 to 14,000 lb . the American Cessna company is reported to be about to start production in Scotland , where it will assemble this hydraulic equipment . the side frames of the 702 bucket have also been modified to enable it to fit on to the 203 . there is a new weight attachment , which we saw fitted on the rear of the 65R ; it carries 15 iron weights of 122 lb each . a sub-soiling attachment , on which a cable-laying fixture can be bolted , is now available for the 35S and 35H industrial tractors , which are now painted yellow and grey . 