Croft work: manure, spade cultivation and care of livestock....
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1970.237
Original Tape ID
Summary
Croft work: manure, spade cultivation and care of livestock.
Peter Henry describes croft work, including the preparation of manure in the winter. Byres were emptied into middens and the dung layered with turf taken from the hill. The first spring work was manuring the land. Next was digging in the muck and turning the peat [slice of soil]. This was done by a team of four people with Shetland spades. This was followed by sowing and harrowing the seed by hand. Rigs [cultivated strips] were about eight yards wide. There were many small rigs on Mr Henry's land, divided by numerous ditches. They were worked in rotation, but later the land was put to grass.
Cattle roamed the common ground during the day and were kept indoors at night. Lambs were kept inside and hand fed in winter. The main crop was feed corn [i.e. oats]. A little of the seed was kept for grinding into oatmeal in the country mills. Potatoes were another important crop, as were turnips. There were a couple of walled kaleyards, about half an acre in size. Animals were free to come in from the hill and graze on the croft in winter.
Item Location
County - Shetland
Parish - Walls and Sandness
Island - Shetland Mainland
Language
English
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good