School: Danescastle

Location:
Danescastle, Co. Wexford
Teacher:
Micheál Ó Loinghsigh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0875, Page 017

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0875, Page 017

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  1. XML School: Danescastle
  2. XML Page 017
  3. XML “Growing of Beans”

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  1. Beans were grown extensively in this district about 40 years ago. They were generally sown on lea land and manured with sea weed (or "woar" as it is locally called) or well rotted farm yard manure. The crop being of the Leguminous family and capable of extracting free nitrogen from the air was a valuable crop to sow as a forerunner to wheat. Beekeepers valued it highly as the blossoms were rich in nector for honey making purposes. The beans were cut when ripe and bound into bundles with straw latches. They were put in stacks to save. They were easily saved as they dried quickly. When dry they were threshed with a flail and put into bags.
    In earlier times Wexford beans were exported to the West Indies. Beans were ground into meal which was excellent food for pigs fowl and for "finishing off" horses. A well known Veterinary Surgeon (in Wexford Mr B. Hickey) uses beans regularly for "finishing off" his horses.
    Bean stalks were used for firing especially for putting on the lids of the bake pots to bake bread.

    SEA WEED (or woar) AS MANURE
    "Woar" is used extensively as a manure in this parish and it is said that on account of large quantities of this valuable natural manure being available merely for the trouble of gathering and drawing it, the valuation of the farms is very high and rents were higher than elsewhere.
    It is used chiefly for root crops such as mangolds, turnips and potatoes
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. economic activities
        1. agriculture (~2,659)
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Mr John White
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    51
    Address
    Carrick, Co. Wexford