School: Carlingford (C.) (roll number 13582)
- Location:
- Carlingford, Co. Louth
- Teacher: S. Ní Mhártain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0657, Page 141
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- XML School: Carlingford (C.)
- XML Page 141
- XML “The Potato-Crop”
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- We have no farm but we cultivate a small plot of ground each year.
My father manures the ground and then digs it with a spade. We set our potatoes in drills which are made with a spade. The drills are made by digging, and leaving a little hollow between two banks of mould. The spades used in Carlingford are not made locally but are bought in hardware stores. Wooden ploughs were used long ago, but are not used not in our district. Iron ploughs are used as they are heavier and wear better.
Before setting the potatoes my father puts manure into the drills. He then cuts the seed, leaving an eye in each portion. After that he drops them each about a foot apart. He then covers them lightly with mould. In about three week's time when they begin to sprout they are covered with the remainder of the mould. When in bloom they are sprayed.
About eight pounds of blue-stone and four pounds of soda are disolved in a barrel of water and this is applied to the crop.
The potatoes are then weeded by hand.
They are taken out in September and October, and stored in pits. We dig a small pit for ours and cover them with ferns and plenty of mould. This protects them from frost and snow.
The local people help each other with the(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Monica Boyle
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 14
- Address
- Castle Hill, Co. Louth
