School: Kilbeg (roll number 11039)

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1. The Potato Crop (continued)

   

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   a man shovels the clay up on the ridge. In the month of July they are to be sprayed. They dig the potatoes in the month of September. They dig the potatoes in ridges with a spade and children gather them in buckets and then they put them into bags. They dig the potatoes in drills with a plough or potato-digger and sometimes with a spade. When they are taking them out with a plough they have to harrow the ground becausse some of them get buried in the ground. When they have those potatoes gathered they put the good potatoes in a pit by themselves and the rubbish in another pit. The people that do not plant any potatoes have to buy them at the markers. Long ago they used to make those drills and ridges with a wooden plough and somethines they would have to mark the ridges with a spade. They would also make starch out of the potatoes. They would half boil the potatoes and then they would scoup them with a spoon and then they would have it made.

   [Drawing] - This is the type of spade used locally

   

   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

   Michael Carpenter

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Staholmog, Co. Meath