School: Cnapach (Crappagh) (roll number 7529)

On this page

1. Potato Crop (continued)

   

   Share Share Post

   (continued from previous page)

   Potatoes are cut before planting and there must be an "eye" or bud in each set, otherwise it won't grow. Lime is sprinkled on them before planting. The manure is scattered in the drills and the potatoes are dropped on it. The are dropped about 1 foot apart. Children are very good at dropping potatoes. A meal-bag is opened down the side and an apron is made of it. They carry the potato sets in it.
   People help one another when planting potatoes. They "swap" work as it is called. A man goes to a neighbour today to give him a hand and then that neighbour returns the "swap" when he is putting in his potatoes and so on.
   After they have been planted some weeks, potatoes are hoed and then moulded. When they are tall they are wed and about the month of July they are sprayed with blue-stone and washing-soda. The soda prevents the blue-stone burning the leaves. Lime used to be mixed with the blue-stone it was found to be too mild.

   (continues on next page)

   

   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

   Informant

   Fran Mc Gunn

   Gender

   Unknown

   Address

   Tullyard, Co. Monaghan