Potatoes
31st May 1938
My father sets potatoes at home now. First of all he ploughs the land and harrows it. Then he rises drills with a plough and he scatters yard manure between every two drills. Then slits are laid on the manure and he closes the drills with the plough.
He sets lea land too. First of all he raises sods leaving three feet between every two sods and also leaving a furrow between every two ridges. Yard manure is spread on the ridges then, and he spreads the slits over the manure. Then he closes them in with a spade and sometimes gets a mahill. The potatoes we set are, Arran Banners, Kerry Pinks, King Edwards, Garden Fillers, Champions, May queens, Eppicures, and Arran Victors.
When the stalks come up through the clay, they are sprayed to keep the blight away from them. The king Edwards are the sweetest potatoes that grow in our district but the Banners grow big also and are the best for pigs.
“ John Kennedy, Address, Prison, Balla, Co. Mayo”
On Easter Sunday morning we first go to Mass. when we come home we have our breakfast. We make a fire, and we make tea and we have sweet-cakes and eggs in a field if the day is fine.