Mr Websters song, composed in 1950, depicts the demise of the clydesdales on arable farms. On the dairy farms of the South and
Southwest of Scotland clydesdales were sometimes the only motive power on the farm into the 1960s.
Our ex neighbours purchased their first tractor, milking machine and
motor car in 1962,they ended up buying the three or four farms surrounding them before the end of the 60s.
Six sons and three daughters were all gainfully employed at home in the days of hand milking and horse cultivation so with all the new
labour saving devises they increased the size of their farm four fold
to keep them all working.
It should be noted that they, like those of us brought up in the old Scots tradition, would never buy anything,including a farm or a
house, that we could not pay for in cash.