School: Dún Ceann Fhaolaidh (roll number 15499)
- Location:
- Dunkineely, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Seaghan Mac Cuinneagáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1038, Page 290
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- (continued from previous page)Very good crops of corn were raised in this manner although at the present time it would not be successful without a liberal supply of artificial manure.
The reaping was done with hooks – the slash hook being very much used. This hook had a serrated edge and had a strop on the handle for fastening around the wrist. The reaper manipulated the first hookful of corn into a strop for tying the sheaf and could tie the sheaf without putting it on the ground. This method of cutting corn was called “scutching” and a good cutter could cut 50 stooks in a day.
The other method was hand shearing. In this case the corn was gathered in the hand when cut. A strop was first made and placed on the ground, then one handful was placed back down on the strop and another placed on top front down. Two large handfuls were ample for a sheaf and if properly made the “butts” of the straw were quite even. An adept at their job could easily cut 35 or 40 stooks in(continues on next page)
