School: Mungret (C.) (roll number 11784)

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1. The Potato Crop

   

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   The Potato Crop. 31-8-38

   My father sows seeds every year on our farm. About one or two acres are sown under potatoes every year. sometimes the crop grows well, at other times it does not. it all depends upon the weather.

   My father and two brothers prepare the ground for the potatoes. it is done in this way. First they harrow it and then plough it. The potatoes are then sown in drills.

   They get a plough drawn by two horses, and they open the drills. A plough is used only when there is about an acre or so to be down, and a spade is used when there is a small garden of about a half or a quarter of an acre. In the olden times wooden ploughs were used, but they are to be seen now, but regularly. The ploughs now are all made of iron.

   Before sowing the potatoes they are cut into halves leaving a little eye in each half, so that when it is set it will take root. The method of digging the potatoes in Autumn is this. A potato digger is produced drawn by two horses. Then they root up the drills so that there is no trouble in picking the potatoes.

   Then usually a few of the

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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

   Josie Woulfe

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Loughmore Common, Co. Limerick

   Informant

   Mr Patrick Woulfe

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   69

   Occupation

   Labourer

   Address

   Loughmore Common, Co. Limerick