School: Na Tearmoinn (B.) (roll number 8931)

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1. The Potato Crop

   

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   We grow potatoes every year in our farm. We sow about one acre of ground with them. When the year is bad the amount of potatoes is small. My father and brother prepare the ground to sow them in every year. The ground is never manured before being turned but it is always manured when the drills are opened. The potatoes are sown in drills and ridges but they grow better in the ridges. Potatoes are most usually set with ploughs because it is very fast way. Long ago wooden ploughs were used all over the country but there are none using them now. Any smith around here does not make spades now, but the farmer buys them in shops. When the farmer is setting potatoes, he first ploughs the ground and harrows it and then opens the drills. All the local farmers help each other on planting the potato crop. When the potatoes are first sown the top of the drills are rolled, when that is done the drills are risen to a couple of days later and kept well wed during the Summer season. When the farmer is about to dig his potatoes he first weeds the drills well and then digs them out with either a spade a plough, or a potato digger. The children pick them and if there are no children the women pick them into buckets or either in bags or cleeves. When they are pitting. There are many

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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

   John Culhane

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Tarmon West, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   Mrs Lizzie Culhane

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   75

   Address

   Tarmon West, Co. Kerry