School: Sean Bhaile Árd (roll number 14663)

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1. Potato Sowing in this District

   

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   The potatoes are sown in three ways in this district; in ridges, in drills and in foideen and of these sowing in ridges is the more usual way. When sown in ridges the ground is prepared in the following manner. The land is first ploughed then harrowed and made into ridges about three feet wide. The heap of farmyard manure which has accumulated in the farmyard is drawn in cars to the field in which the potatoes are to be sown and is spread on the ridges. The woman of the house cuts the slits leaving an eye in each slit and they are then taken to the potatoe field and spread in threes about a foot apart on the ridges over the manure. The slits are covered with soil from the dykes on each side of the ridges and they are allowed to remain so for a bout a month when the stalks have pierced the soil and are about an inch high. They are then covered with soil again and are then allowed to grow unmolested until spraying time comes. They are sprayed three times with intervals of three weeks between each spraying. When this is done the potatoes are left to grow until harvest time comes.
   The process of sowing potatoes in drills entails more use of the plough than any other implement and the spade is not used at all. The land is first ploughed then harrowed and rolled and finally made into drills with the plough. The manure is then spread on the drills and the slits are

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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

   Arabella Melody

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Clooncah, Co. Galway

   Informant

   Michael Melody

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Mrs Margaret Melody

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   Thomas Melody

   Gender

   Male