School: N. Colmcille, Westport Quay (roll number 13145)
- Location:
- Westport Quay, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: Sean Ó Flaitile
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0137, Page 189
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- (continued from previous page)the slits on the manure and leaves a space of about nine inches between each one of them. The potatoes would not grow if this was not done. Then the farmer covers the potatoes with clay from the dykes.
When the stalks begin to appear above the ground the farmer puts more clay on them. This is called moulding the potatoes. The potatoes would not be good if they were not moulded. During the summer months the farmer sprays the stalks with a mixture of dissolved blue-stone and washing-soda. This prevents a disease called the blight from destroying the potatoes.
In Autumn the farmer begins to dig up the potatoes. When they are all dug up he makes pits for them. Then he picks all the good ones and keeps them up on straw or scraws. He brings the bad potatoes home for the pigs. The good potatoes are the covered with a straw(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Delia Giblin
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Belclare, Co. Mayo
- Informant
- Mrs. Giblin
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 47
- Address
- Belclare, Co. Mayo
