Cabbage Rucker

This piece of equipment is known locally as a cabbage rucker. It was made and used in the Burscough area near Southport.

Farmers, in small farming communities or growing specialist crops, developed their own tools that are unlike anywhere else in the country. We've spoken to some of the local farmers, who still produce cabbages in this area. They can remember cabbage ruckers being common tools, but do not remember how they were used. We do not have any photographs of cabbage ruckers in use, but we do know from its design that it was pulled by a horse. It could be for planting cabbages or for pulling them out of the ground. It may even have been used to weed around the cabbages.

What do you think it was used to do?

Do you have a picture of one in use?