School: Gortermone
- Location:
- Gort ar Mónaidh, Co. Liatroma
- Teacher: Mrs A. O' Reilly
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0229, Page 178
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- XML “The Potato Crop”
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- (continued from previous page)the smaller ones are left in the round. They are then set with a "Scíbín". Before the stalks begin to peep the furrows are ploughed and the clay from them is shovelled with shove[ls?] on to them.
When the stalks are about twelve inches high, a preparation of blue stone and washing soda diluted with water, is sprayed on the stalks as a preventative to a potatoe disease called "Blight". In recent years this is put on with a machine but years ago the farmers shook it on with a besom -- made from bog heather. To safe guard the crop from this plague this operation has to be preformed at least three times in succession with an interval of three weeks or so between.
About the end of September or beginning of October the stalks begin to wither away and then it is time to start the "digging out" of the Potatoes. Around this locality this crop is planted in ridges as the ground is too wet for drills. The men dig them with a spade, the large ones picked and put into heaps(continues on next page)