School: Baile na Carraige, Cill Díoma (roll number 11295)

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1. The Potato Crop

   

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   Two varieties of potatoes are grown in this neighbourhood namely Kerr's pink and Arran Banner as main crop. Epicure and British queen are grown as early and second early. The main crop usually planted in ground which has given a crop of oats the previous year. The stubble is usually ploughed during November sometimes manure has been scattered over it. Another method of manuring is to spread the manure on the seed potatoes in the drills at the time of planting. The ground is always reploughed and worked with harrow until it is as fine as the moisture in the soil will allow. Drills are then opened with a double boarded plough the drills 1 foot to fourteen in a part. This is always done by the Women (neighbours help one another at the planting and also at the lifting of the crop) the men spread the manure on the seed which are cut into what are called skillauns. A potoatoe making from two to four according to size. The drills are then closed. Many farmers prefer the single boarded swing plough for this operation.
   They are usually tilled about six weeks later by grubbing the furrows and taking the tops of the drills with an old harrow which has the pins removed. They are left until the stalks grow high enough to earth them up spraying is usually done after the past earthing they are earthed up for the last time.
   Spades are but little used now in this locality and potatoes are very seldom planted in ridges. Even for lifting the plough is always used.

   

   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

   Agnes O Brien

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   William O Brien

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   50

   Address

   Cartown, Co. Limerick