School: Gortermone
- Location:
- Gortermone, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Mrs A. O' Reilly
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0229, Page 177
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- XML School: Gortermone
- XML Page 177
- XML “The Potato Crop”
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- The potatoes are one of the principal crops sown in tis part of the country. We put about two acres of land under the crop each year, but sometimes this amount varies, when the weather is bad or the manure scarce.
My father prepares the ground for the sowing of potatoes. First, he spreads the manure with a graip, then turns the sod with an iron plough. Long ago wooden ploughs were used but now they are all gone. There is just one in this district. Sometimes a "laidhe" is used, these been made locally by the Blacksmith. The handle or loytree is made by a carpenter and fitted into the iron. Years ago the iron plough was seldom used. Generally two men dug the ridges one on either side, turned up the sod with the loy and inserted "graipin" [mould] from the furrow in the centre. Then the ridge was was ready for the setting.
The potatoes are sorted, the large ones cut into two or three splits each having at least one eye and(continues on next page)
