School: Druim (roll number 16557)

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1. The Potato Crop

   

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   The Potato Crop.
   The growing of potatoes is the chief work of the farmers of Ballinakill. It takes the greater part of the year to complete the work between the sowing, digging, and picking.
   The potatoes, which are stored up since the previous year are cut by the women of the house in mid Spring into slits. Most farmers plough the land with an iron plough attached from either one, or two horses, making about forty drills in every acre of land. Manure is purchased from one of the local shops, and is shaken along on each drill. Seven or eight of the neighbours come together, and help one man, whilst some others go, and help another the following day, and so on. Usually on a fine April, or May day, when the sun shines brilliantly, the sowing of pops takes place. The halves, or slits, as they are called, are spaced eight, or ten apart in a straight line. The potatoes are then covered with clay by the plough, or with a spade. Soon the plants appear, and each day, they grow richer, and taller. The weeds get stronger, and more plentiful each day also, as the hoe is procured, with which the weeds are beaten down.
   When the blight appears, the spraying-can is put in use. A large amount of bluestone, and washing-soda is bought. The washing-soda is dissolved in a pot over the fire, whilst the bluestone is put in a bag, and dissolved in a bowl of cold water into which the washing-soda is thrown later on. The spraying-can is then filled, and is straped on the man’s

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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

   Kathleen Shiel

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   13

   Informant

   Thomas Shiel

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   60

   Address

   Drumkeary, Co. Galway