asked the Minister for Agriculture whether, in view of the poor quality of the soil and the scarcity of farmyard manure in West Donegal, he will be prepared to make available in the district a special allowance of fertilisers for the potato crop; whether he is aware that in West Donegal the people depend almost entirely on the potato crop to provide food for themselves and their animals, and that, as a great proportion of the land consists of reclaimed bog, it is only possible to obtain a reasonable return by the application of a considerable quantity of manure; whether he is further aware that local experience shows that seaweed is only effective as a dressing for root crops when mixed with fertilisers, as the benefit of the seaweed becomes apparent only towards the end of the growing season; and whether, in the circumstances, he will take steps to ensure that at least 1 cwt. of fertiliser suitable for the potato crop will be made available to each small farmer on the Donegal seaboard.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supply of Fertilisers in West Donegal.
The superphosphates already manufactured this season and the raw phosphates available will provide all farmers with an allocation of superphosphates equal to that provided in 1942, and, in addition, a compound mixture for beet and other specialised crops as already announced, and an allocation for allotment holders. I have already given consideration to the many proposals put up for the disposal of any further supplies should another cargo of raw phosphates arrive safely from abroad, and I have decided that the congested districts, including West Donegal, should receive preferential treatment.