School: Leamh-choill
- Location:
- Drumsillagh, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Cáit Ní Ghadhra
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0232, Page 062
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- XML “The Potato Crop”
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- The Potato Crop
Every farmer grows potatoes from a rood to three roods is sown under potatoes every year. The ground is prepared by the owner of the land. Drills are seldom used.
The ground is ploughed up into ridges with a plough. The mould board is then removed and the "furrows" or alleys are ploughed up. The ground is then manured the manure being put in the heart of the ridge. The mould out of the furrows is then thrown in to the heart of the ridge is called the heartstring.
The potatoes are cut into splits. When the ground is not too hard they are planted with "steveen". A "steveen" is a pointed handle with a step in it. When the stalks begin to come up the artificial manure is applied and more mould is put on. The potatoes are sprayed three times with "bluestone" or Copper Sulphate. In the Autumn they are dug out with spades. The children pick them. They are stored in pits and covered in rushes and mould. Kerry Pink and Arran Banners and Irish Queens grow best in this district
