Three Massey Ferguson compact tractors helped add an extra splash of colour to one of the country's best-known floral festivals held in Lincolnshire earlier this month.

Loaned to the organisers of the Spalding Tulip Parade by local Massey Ferguson dealer, Fentons of Bourne, the tractors were used to pull three beautifully-decorated floats through the South Holland town of Spalding during a parade lasting more than three hours.

Thousands of local people and visitors lined the 3.5 mile parade route as dancers, marching bands and 50 floats, bedecked with more than half a million tulip heads, passed by in a spectacular celebration of the area's flower industry and horticultural heritage.

This year's event also marked the parade's 50th birthday, having been held without a break since 1959. Appropriately, the theme for the 2008 Spalding Tulip Parade was 'Thanks for the Memories' as the organisers celebrated the best of parades from the past half century.

Speaking following the parade, Glen Bellamy, managing director of Fentons of Bourne, said he was delighted to be able to provide practical support to an event for which he is a member of the operations team.

"We supplied two 40hp MF 1540s and a 28hp MF 1528 which proved ideal for the job, thanks to their low levels of noise and exhaust emissions," he said. "After this year's success, it looks as if Massey Ferguson compact tractors are going to be a permanent fixture in future parades."

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Note to Editors:
Every year, flower heads are removed from the tulips growing in the fields of Lincolnshire to help promote the growth of strong, healthy bulbs. For 50 years, these heads have been donated to the Spalding Tulip Parade by local growers. In total, over half a million tulip heads are picked in May from local tulip fields and individually pinned to the floats during the two days prior to the parade. The bulbs are then lifted from the fields in June and July for cleaning and grading, the larger ones being sold on to retail customers while the smaller ones are kept back for re-planting to flower the following April/May or for forcing under glass, flowering between January and March.

ABOUT AGCO

Founded in 1990, AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AG) (www.agcocorp.com) is a global manufacturer of agricultural equipment and related replacement parts. AGCO offers a full product line including tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage, tillage equipment and implements, which are distributed through more than 3,000 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries worldwide. AGCO products include the following well-known brands: AGCO®, Challenger®, Fendt®, Gleaner®, Hesston®, Massey Ferguson®, RoGator®, Spra-Coupe®, Sunflower®, Terra-Gator®, Valtra®, and White™ Planters. AGCO provides retail financing through AGCO Finance. The company is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, and in 2007 had net sales of $6.8 billion.

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