School: Ballyroddy (roll number 12629)

On this page

1. The Potato Crop (continued)

   

   Share Share Post

   (continued from previous page)

   81
   district. Spades are bought in the shop. To prepare potatoes for sowing:- the farmer picks out his seed potatoes, if he has them, if he hasn't suitable seed, he must buy them on the market. He splits each seed potato in two, three, or four parts, according to the size of the potato, but he must leave an 'eye' in each split. The splits are left to season for two or three days, they are then 'stuck' three in a row, with a spade the holes stopped with a mallet, the manure spread and the mould put on with shovels or spades.
   The people help each other at their work, one man with a plough, ploughs for this man, who goes to the plough man, and gives him a day or two sticking potatoes. Then a neighbouring man comes a day or two to my father shoveling mould, and my father goes to him a day or two spreading manure. When the 'stalks' are up a few inches they are re. moulded and wed, after another few weeks they are sprayed two or three times with intervals of two or three weeks between each spraying. We begin to dig the new potatoes on 'Garland Sunday'

   (continues on next page)

   

   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

   Ita Gannon

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Caldragh, Co. Roscommon

   Informant

   Tom Gannon

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   68

   Address

   Caldragh, Co. Roscommon