School: Meath Hill (roll number 7166)
- Location:
- Meath Hill, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Patrick J. Connolly
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0712, Page 205
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- The Potato CropThere are a lot of potatoes grown in this district. Some of the farmers sow them in ridges and others in drills. First the ground is ploughed into ridges and the manure is spread on them. The potatoes are cut into seeds with a knife and en eye or two is left in each seed. Then they are dropped on the ridges leaving from ten to fourteen inches between each seed and the furrows are dug with a spade and the seeds are covered with clay. In a month or six weeks the stalks grow over the ground and the furrows are dug again and the clay is put up on the ridges with shovels, as a moulding. When the stalks are strong, and well over the ground they are sprayed with soda and bluestone to prevent a disease call the "blight". When Autumn comes the potatoes are ready to be dug. They are dug with spades or ploughs or potato-diggers. After a time they are picked and the good potatoes are put in pits and the bad ones are used as a food for pigs and fowl. We use Aran Banners, Kerrs Pinks, Epicures and Triumphs for seed and we have about half an acre of potatoes every year.Michael Byrne Standard VI
- Collector
- Michael Byrne
- Gender
- Male
