School: Newtown, Fertullagh
- Location:
- Newtownlow, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: K. Shumacher
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0732, Page 068
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- XML School: Newtown, Fertullagh
- XML Page 068
- XML “The Potato Crop”
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- Potatoes are grown on our farm. There is an acre of ground used for potatoes on our farm ; though sometimes we sow more and sometimes less. We pay a man to till the ground every year. It is just ploughed up, but is never manured in any way before being ploughed.A drill is made by a plough with two mould-boards. The potatoes are dropped on the drill and a plough is used for closing them and a spade is used for digging themI have seen a wooden plough, though they are very seldom used now. I saw one being used this year (for the first time) by a man called Michael Maloney. We buy our spades in the shop.
When we are going to sow potatoes we have to cut them before we sow them.
We do not help anyone though some people do help each other.
In summer the potatoes have to be grubbed and sprayed to prevent them from being destroyed by blight. We spray with water, bluestone and washingsoda.When we are digging out the potatoes, the small ones pick them and my big brothers dig them out. Potatoes are put in a hole or a house and straw(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Douglas Matthews
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Ballynagore, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Mr Thomas Belton
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Ballynagore, Co. Westmeath
