School: Carrigabruise
- Location:
- Carrigabruse, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: P. Mc Enrae
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0999, Page 203
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- XML School: Carrigabruise
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- XML “The Potato Crop”
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- My father grows an acre or two acres of potatoes every year.
First he ploughs the field and then he cross ploughs it. He then leaves it there for a month until it is reduced to fine tilth. After that he harrows it and then he prepares the drills. He draws the manure out of the farmyard into the tillage field and he spreads it between the drills. Before dropping the seed he shakes guano or superphosphate over the manure. Afterwards the girls of the houses prepares aprons for the "droppers". A woman usually cuts the seed and dresses them with lime. Small potatoes are not cut in half but sometimes the big ones are cut into thirds or quarters. An "eye" is left in part. A cart is then loaded with the seed and it is then brought out to the tilled field.
The young people fill their aprons with the seed and walk up and down between the drills placing the potatoes about nine or ten inches apart. The drills are then closed with a plough and horses.
The spades are not made locally but they are bought in the shops. Long ago the farmers used wooden ploughs but it is(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Una Lynch
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Lisduff, Co. Cavan
