A' cur a' bhuntàta anns na feannagan taomaidh.

Original Track ID

SA1970.41.AD

Original Tape ID

SA1970.041

Summary

Planting potatoes in the lazy-beds.

When the lazy-beds are banked up with soil the potatoes are planted with a dibble - they are not raked beforehand. Potatoes are planted about six inches apart. Potato eyes are carried in an apron [sgùird], dropped into a dibble hole and pushed down lightly with the dibble. The dibble itself has a handle like a spade at the top and a foot rest. The eye comes to rest on the surface of the seaweed. When the day's work is finished all the dibble holes are closed with a heavy rake. Each five foot bed has four rows of potatoes, as planted by the contributor. Remaining bits of potato [glaodhan] after cutting are usually thrown away, and not used for cattle-feed.

After raking, nothing further is done to the bed until the potatoes are lifted in the autumn. The only exception is where the soil is very peaty and may dry and crack, exposing the growing eyes. In such cases soil or peat dust is spread over the surface to fill the cracks and protect the potatoes. No weeding or hoeing is done during the growing season.

Potatoes now planted are usually Kerr's Pink. They used to plant buntàta ruadh [red/brown potatoes]. Only one man still uses this type. At one time Bowman - a white potato - was planted, but was liable to blight. The contributor says that Kerr's Pink is the best potato for Grimsay, but last year there was some blight even in that. He remembers the old type "black" potatoes. Potatoes are lifted with a cròcan [a hook], put in pails and sacks and stored in a potato pit. This was covered with turf with ventilation holes.

Recording Location

Item Location

Language

Gaelic

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good