School: Caisleán na Leacht, Droichead Banndan (roll number 8972)
- Location:
- Castlenalact, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Domhnall Ó Cochláin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0315, Page 099
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- The area of land under potatoes varies from one to three acres. Of late years a greater area is being sown owing to the poor return from the turnip crop. The turnip is suffering much from the "turnip fly" & "finger & toe" diseases. The prevalence of these diseases is attributed to the scarcity of sparrows & this is attributed to the substitution of slate for thatch & sheds for ricks of straw & hay.
In this district the potatoes are mostly sown in drills. The land is ploughed during the winter. In the Spring it is harrowed, ploughed & harrowed again until the earth is well broken. When the soil is ready it is ploughed into drills. Manure is then placed in each drill & the seed or sprouters are placed on the manure - often by the children - about 12 inches apart. Then the drills are ploughed & each line of seed is covered in the shape of a drill.
A few people still sow the potatoes in ridges. The land having been manured is ploughed with four furrows in each ridge. The ridges are hacked with a grafán & the seed is then "stuck".
