School: Monagea (B.), Newcastlewest (roll number 9401)

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   “My father usually sows about half an acre of potatoes each year...”

   

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   My father usually sows about a half an acre of potatoes each year, about a quarter of a acre of ridges and about a quarter of a acre of drills. The potatoes are a very troublesome crop especially the ridges.
   First of all the sods have to be cut with a spade and turned up at both sides.
   The usual width of a ridge is about four feet four inches. The manure is then put in under the sods. The seed potatoes are then cut and laid on the ridge about on foot apart. Then the earth is shovelled up on the ridge until the potatoes are covered. The making of drills are different. First the stubbles must be ploughed in the month of October or November then in Spring again it often has to be ploughed three times to make the earth fine enough and then it is harrowed before the drills are opened. Then the drills are opened and the manure is spread on them about one foot apart. Then the drills are closed with a horse and plough. When the stalks are well over ground they are scuffled and the earth is raised to the stalks.
   Then they have to be sprayed with bluestone and Washing soda, so as to protect them from the blight. About the end

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. products
      1. food products (~3,601)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   James Mulcahy

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Ballylinane, Co. Limerick

   Informant

   Michael Mulcahy

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   50

   Address

   Ballylinane, Co. Limerick