[Flower]

It was the last week of August when the telephone call came to say we could have our new halfsize allotment. I picked the one with the best weeds that I could cope with . That was the one with long dry grass and many mature docks. I had 2 weeks holiday, the weather was fine and I scythed it and double dug it ,removing the fabulous roots of the docks. We erected a shed from broken bits and a huge compost bin for the grass. I could never have cleared all of the couch grass and the very back of the plot could only be turned over ,due to the bedrock.I put in a row of spring onions and a row of broad beans. I hoed off the onions with the couch grass and the pidgeons ate half of the beans .I'm looking for a few Irish lumpers for next year if I can find any.Any useful suggestions please. Carpets are forbidden and I shall hoe it till the cow muck arrives.

[John]

And what is a lumper??
(OK , I know I'm a bit thick at times)

[noshed]

Spuds possibly?

[John]

Noun   1.   lumper - a laborer who loads and unloads vessels in a port
   2.   lumper - a taxonomist who classifies organisms into large groups on the basis of major characteristics

It's like an episode of call my bluff in here (I'm too young for countdown)

[Aunt Sally]

I definitly an irish potato John


http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article//agriculture_02

[John]

Seems likely - didn't think he was growing taxonomistts really
Thanks

[muntjac]

wot are you lot like . irish lumpers are tatties or clones of tatties
around 1800 the Irish plated tatties to fed em   and  planted the "lumper" potato its a variety of tattie  and cos then  can be propigated  all of these lumpers was  clones or summat like that

[Flower]

The Irish potato turns up now and again in Sainsbury's. Its name surely comes from its lumpy appearance and if you like mashed spuds, this is the king. Looks like I shall have to find some Irish friends  to find  their source.
  As to my bulbs , normally, I would have left the daffs, but this summer I decided to have a grand Syssinghurst style border ,niccotiana sylvestris ,lillies and roses, and coming to the end of their season decided to put back new expensive tulips and daff; so I was anxious to put up as good a show. I think I should have mixed the compost with the soil .
 Grit, is to stop the bulbs becoming waterlogged.
 If only I'd  had the luxury of space .