Àiteach / Agriculture

Informant(s)
Name
Donald MacPhail
Age
59
Origin
Ross and Cromarty, Lewis
Location
Lewis, Barvas, South Bragar
Notes
  • [NOTES: the original title of the questionnaire is “Land Cultivation”.]
1. Land division and allocation
(a) Specific portions or allotments into which arable land is divided
obair an’ earraichspring work.
an àiteachspring work.
an treabhadhspring work. Common term for this district.
ri g’éilaidh, leagal na’ h’éilaidhbeginning of spring work; rough turning of soil with spade preparatory to sowing with barley seed. When manured, turned or ploughed again and then sown. The last crop put down in the season except perhaps veg., cabbage etc.
cur a’ bhunatasreath/streath bhunata.
tionndadh a coirc/corc
cur foidhe an eornamanured, ploughed and sown same day for good results.
iomaira fairly sized portion of arable longer than it is wide, pertaining to machair.
feannagsimilar in length and width [to iomair] and pertaining to croft.
clàrlarger than the above two portions [i.e. iomair and feannag] and more or less square; croft. Ex. clàr bunata, clàr corc, clàr shneip.
ceannthe smallest portion of arable. Ex. ceann churran, etc.
liospronounced leas (ie.) leas càil - cabbage garden. Which would have to be walled. [NOTES: this fragment appears between ‘lios’ and ‘athbhull’ but it is not clear to which of the two definitions it belongs.]
athbhulla small turf walled, garden shaped; used for young cabbage plants.
buaile and paircreclaimed portion of arable between crofts and moor and made stock proof with stone dykes, having no title to it in some cases. Nowadays it is fencing [sic] through appointments from Crofters’ Commission.
Seann fhacail co-cheangailte ri cur agus buan
[seanfhaclan]Fear nach cur sa latha fhuar, cha bhuain sa latha theth. Ceum beag domhain, siol agus todhar. Faigh do shiol agus do thodhar s’ bith [sic] do threabhach deant. Cha do shuidh tuathanach math riamh air a chliabh.
sgriobfurrow.
(b) Various types of arable land
talamh bàn
talamh àitaich
atharnach, atharnaichwhere potatoes were previous year. Ex. atharnach bhuntata.
buailefor cultivation.
paircfor cultivation.
cul a bhailefor grazing.
an culfor grazing.
athbhull, abhallused generally for raising cabbage plants.
feanagan
iomairean
clair
cinn
(c) Actual dividing and allocating of land, e.g. casting lots
garadh crìche
clach criche, clach crìoch
cur croinnto cast lots.
roinn chinn, cheannrun rig.
garadh a’ bhailedry-stone dyke enclosing cultivated part of village (about ½ mile from sea-shore).
garadh ùirturf dyke a further ½ mile into the moor (one mile from sea). This dyke protected the cultivation of the river glen. In vicinity of each of these dykes was a pound for stray animals.
garadh droma
buaile a phuinndthe place of the stray animal pound.
(d) Land owned or held under leases of various duration
Tha croit agam air mhal.I have a croft on rent.
Tha croit agam air ‘rent’.
2. Harness of a horse
(a) The harness of a horse as used in the performance of different tasks
claganhalter.
strathairsaddle.
collaircollar.
siulleachanhames.
briogaisbreeches.
cairtaircarter.
cairtaireachdcarting.
treabhadhploughing.
cliathadhharrowing.
cur an t’ each an’ uidheam[?] put the harness on the horse.
cur an t’ each do’n cairtput the horse in the cart.
(b) Different parts of the harness for carting
(c) Different parts of the harness for ploughing or harrowing
slioseantraces.
gralag, na greallagana strong piece of wood with a strong iron band at each end to which the traces are linked. Another of the same in the centre facing backwards and to which the plough or harrow is fixed.
ban dromaor back rope; the back band keeping the traces in position.
3. Carts
(a) The common farm-yard cart
cairt copiccouping cart.
(b) Different parts of a cart
1. Body
carnthe body of the cart.
tromachanthe two main beams in the body lengthwise, trams.
cross end deiraidh
cross end toisaich
na blocaicheanthe pieces of wood separating trams from axle.
2. Trams
3. Wheel and axle
cearcalliron ring on wheels.
na gàirdeananthe spokes in wheels.
a chiochthe hub.
am bushiethe iron fitting through which the axle passes.
na punnacheanthe axle pins.
4. Decorations
[painting carts]Normally a cart was painted red with blue on that portion of the trams where the back rope or back band sliders are fixed in. The reason for this part being painted blue, I presume, was because the sliders were always greased and grease running on to the blue did not show so much as it would if the paint was red. Sometimes the trams were also painted blue about six inches on rear and front. Some carters also painted these parts of trams in black. Blue and black paint counteracted grease marks.
(c) Other words associated with carting
cur an eich do’n cairtputting horse in cart.
toirt an eich as a cairtreleasing horse from cart.
tùmadh na cairtemptying the cart.
4. The plough
(a) Different kinds of ploughs
crann morthe heavy all iron plough used on the big farms of the south and pulled by two horses.
crann de eachthe heavy all iron plough used on the big farms of the south and pulled by two horses.
crann beag (Oliver)the small common Highland plough of wood and iron and pulled by one horse suitable for stony crofts such as we have in Lewis.
(b) Parts of a plough in detail
[crann-na-gad]I refer you to Dwelly’s Gaelic Dictionary, as a very detailed list is given under Crann-na-Gad. The names and expressions are pertaining to that of the parish of Barvas, Isle-of-Lewis.
5. Harrows and swingle trees
(a) Different types of harrows
cliath an eichthree main beams with three cross beams preferably of hard wood.
cliath bheaga man drawn harrow very suitable for small plots of arable.
(b) Swingle trees
6. Spring work
(a) Fertilisers and fertilising
1. Fertilisers
sitiga layer of dung manure and seaweed alternately put together during late winter and early spring; good for all crops.
feamainn dubhcut when tide is out. High tide bringing the cut seaweed on to foreshore gathered and spread on machair soil suitable for potatoes.
feamainn deargbrought on to shore by the incoming tide; also suitable for potatoes as is also for oats and barley.
2. The actual work performed, e.g. transporting seaweed/manure to field
gearradh na feamaida duibhe
cur suas an fheamainn
cliabh feamainn
cliabh todhair
cairt todhair
cur mach an todharmanuring of croft or field.
cur na feamainn anns a sgriob
cur na feamainn anns a streath
’cur a mach ant-sùith[sic] on a sunny, dry day the thatch was removed and the soot collected and stored for use as fertiliser or it may have been taken straight to the croft (not sure of this point).
3. Implements used for lifting, carrying and spreading manure or seaweed
graip
cliabh
barrawheelbarrow.
(b) Turning and tilling the soil
1. Implements used for turning or tilling the soil
spaid
crann treabhaidh
horse drawn
tractor
2. Parts of the implements used
3. Words used in connection with tilling the soil, e.g. digging
túmadhcleaning of drains and spreading the cleanings over the arable, then ploughed in giving the soil renewed fertility.
(c) Seed planting
1. Names of seeds planted and words used for sowing or planting these
siol corccur a corc.
cur a bhunataplanting potatoes.
cur chailplanting cabbages.
2. Names of any special sack, basket etc. used for carrying seed when sowing or planting
seicbag made of hide or skin.
pocbag made of sackcloth.
3. Names of any special implement used for planting
putairfor putting down potatoes when soil is already turned and ploughed. An ordinary wooden shaft with one end somewhat pointed to make the holes more easier [sic].
7. Summer work
(a) Cleaning and weeding potatoes
tobhahoe.
priceadhgoing over the plot cutting all weeds etc.
tobhaiceadhearthing to prevent the grown shaws from being broken by strong winds.
(b) Thinning and weeding other crops
tannachadhthinning with broad hoe.
8. Autumn work
(a) Hay making
1. The implement used for (a) cutting (b) raking and turning (c) lifting and stacking
corransickle (very little used nowadays).
spealscythe.
clach spealsharpener.
rácadhraking and turning.
gocadhfirst stage of stacking.
cruachstack.
goca morstack.
sìgstacked oblong shaped and tapered in the top so as to throw off oncoming rains.
2. Name the parts of the implements mentioned
iarunnblade.
cashandle.
3. Various stages of hay-making
gearradh fheoircutting hay.
tionndadh an fheoirturning [hay].
ri gocadhhay-cocks.
ri cruachadhstacking.
deanamh sìg
(b) Corn cutting and securing
1. Implements used for cutting, raking, binding, lifting into stacks etc.
speal
ràckan
ceangal
2. Bands (for tying corn), sheaves, stooks etc.
bannband.
bad coirc
beum eorna
adag coirca stook of twelve sheaves; bad.
curracag eornaa stook of ten sheaves; beum.
3. Stack making (in yard)
clachan buinnstones.
acaraicheananchors, weights; flat stones put in loops of rope.
seann lion sadanachfor protection from birds.
bonn na cruaichfoundation.
glaodhanthe body.
bad a muighcovering the body with heavy sheaves at the same time making secure with coir rope or heather rope.
crioscoir rope etc.
4. Methods of carrying or transporting corn from field to corn yard
taodthe corn tied up firmly in ropes and carried on the human back.
cart + tractorthe more modern.
(c) Potato lifting and storing
1. Implements
tobhain
graip
croman
2. Sack, creel, barrow etc. used for carrying potatoes in field and to steading
cliabhor creel. The most commonly used.
3. Where potatoes are kept or stored
slochd bhunatapotato pit. To make a potato pit, preferably where oats were grown clean, according to quantity to be put in 20-30 creels for example, 9 feet long 4 ft wide and six inches deep covered with firm sods of earth termed sgrathan and covered with the surrounding earth 9 inches thick formed into a shapely mound.
cuil bhunatawhen potatoes are stored in barn.
4. Potato diseases
cnamhblight, caused by too much wet, signs: withering shaws.
lobhadhrotting, caused by too much wet, signs: withering shaws.
(d) Other crops (Lifting and storing)
1. Implements used for lifting
2. How and where crop is stored
iodhlanncorn yard.
3. Diseases/insects which attack the particular crop(s)
pudharana black stalk of corn in a field of growing oats.
graine dubha black stalk of corn in a field of growing oats.
9. Winter work
(a) Land drainage
1. Drains, ditches etc.
claisdrain between the two feannags.
taomadhclearing drain of debris, which is spread on adjoining fields.
2. Implements used
spaidspade.
(b) Potato cutting for seed
1. Instruments used
sgealbadhcutting the potato leaving an eye in each part.
2. Different kinds of potatoes
Kerr’s pink
Champion
Golden Wonder
(c) Corn threshing
1. Implements used
sùistflail.
ial[flail] thongs connecting handle to buailtean [q.v.].
lamharan[flail] shaft or handle.
buailtean[flail] a two foot long tree branch refined down to suitable weight for threshing corn laid out on barn floor.
maide frassaidha length of wood with edges cut in teeth like manner by which the sheaf is threshed by light beatings.
2. Threshing
bualadh
frassadh
sgathadh bhunancutting the base and roots off barley sheaves with an old scythe blade and shaking all down into a thorough mixture for thatch.
(d) Grain winnowing
1. Devices used
fasganadh
criatharsieve. Circular wooden frame. Skin – perforated to allow grain to fall through. [NOTES: spelled ‘criothar’ in the illustration.]
criathradh
2. How constructed and materials used. Winnowing
[siol agus scalpan]Siol agus scalpan air a cur ri gaoith, siol ri tuiteam faisg a laimh ach a scalpan no moll falb [sic] leis a gaoith.
10. Permanent structures/buildings for storing crops
(a) Stack-yard
iodhlainnstack yard, originally built of stone.
bearnagate-way.
gàradh na h-iodhlainn
(b) Barn and parts of a barn
toll an shabhailopening in wall for winnowing when wind would have to be from favourable direction.
uachdair an shabhailwhere corn is stored.
cùil a bhunatawhere potatoes are stored.
cùil nan òisgeanseparate part for housing this year’s lambs in winter.
11. Modern implements and machines
[tractor, reaper, binder]The tractor, reaper and binder are newly brought in implements and the English names are borrowed.

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