School: Fothanach (roll number 7980)

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1. The Potato Crop

   

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   We sow about an acre of potatoes each year. They are sown in drills but potatoes in the garden are sown in ridges. The ground is ploughed a while before the crop is sown. The drills are made with a plough and the manure is spread along the dykes. The slits are spread along the manure about ten inches apart and then the drills are closed with a graipe. The slits are made by cutting the potatoes into two or three bit with a bud in each one f piece. Long ago wooden ploughs were used but none are to be found now. Potatoes were a source of starch at one time. When the potatoes begin to appear over the ground they are moulded and later on, when the stalks are big, they are moulded twice. They are sprayed twice and sometimes they are weeded. In Autumn when the stalks wither the potatoes are with with a spade. The big potatoes are picked first and put in a pit about 2 and half feet wide, 9 inches deep and of varied lengths. The the small ones are picked and put in a different pit. The potatoes are covered with straw and then with clay. The kinds of potatoes we sow are: Irish Queens, Kerr- pinks Aran Victor, Beauties, Champions, Epicures, Up to dates and Duke of Yorks. Sometimes if a person had no help to dig potatoes a crowd would gather and help. The spades used are not made in the district, but bought in the shops.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. potatoes (~2,701)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   John Kenny

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Callow, Co. Galway

   Collector

   Pat Sweeney

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Fohanagh, Co. Galway

   Collector

   S. Cahill

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Lisnascreena, Co. Galway