School: Newtownbarry (B.) (roll number 3633)
- Location:
- Bunclody, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: Bháitear Ua Giollarnath
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0892, Page 143
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- XML School: Newtownbarry (B.)
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- XML “The Potato Crop”
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- 143The Potato-crop.
Most farmers sow two or three acres under potatoes every year. The ground is manured before it is turned up. The potatoes are mostly sown in drills. Ploughs and spades are used. Wooden ploughs used to be used. There is one at Redmond's of Graigue. The spades used to be made locally but now they are bought in a shop. The ground is ploughed and harrowed before the potatoes are sown. When the drills are opened they are spread with manure. Sometimes the potatoes are sown under the manure and sometimes over it.
The farmers help each other in sowing the potatoes. The potatoes are moulded in the summer months. In the Autumn they dig them and store them in pits. They cover the potatoes with straw or weeds and then they cover the straw or weeds with clay. After some time they bring the potatoes home and sort the big ones from the small ones. The small ones are kept for the hens and pigs. The Kerr Pinks are the type of potatoes that grows best in this district. Potatoes used to be used as starch.
Mr. Kidd of Ballypracus, Bunclody, has a wooden plough.
