Thread: Potatoes

At the age of 12 I was in a catholic agricultural college doing high school and at the same to a diploma in Agriculture.
We used to do many tasks and among them carry bags of maize, feed for cows, pigs and poultry which were well over 25kg.
It was not only one bag, we worked 6 hours in the farm at a pace that now will be classified as a children exploitation.
Yes it is possible for a child to carry that weight day in day out but the price will be paid on health.
The bastards (priest and the college) ruined my spine

I saw the thread topic and thought bewdey, I'm not the only only one to bang on about spuds. I grew up in Tassie where there is a big variety of potatoes from the baking to the mashing to the steaming type (Pink Eye's - Yum!). I now live in Perth where the variety is much smaller and apparently growing is controlled by some sort of Potato Mafia. Still look forward to going back to Tassie to eat spuds.

Anyhoo - I can't remember buying spuds in a 56lbs bag so back in the box with me I suppose.

The old pre metric days
LBS=pound=16ounces

14lbs = 1 stone

28lbs =Quarter

56lbs =1/2

112lbs = 1cwt (hundredweight)

2240lbs = 1 ton (avoirdupois)

And one would see meat trucks delivering to butcher shops with the drivers humping beef sides over their shoulder

My daughter's party trick as a primary schooler 8-10 to impress her friends, was to pick me up and sit me on the outside table (I weighed 8.5 stone)

I like potatoes !

But I would think twice about armwrestling your sis , she sounds like a handful as well as being strong - even as a ten yr old !

Refined sugar was packed in 70 lb. bags. Raw sugar before the start of bulk handling was in 140 lb. bags. Pre WW2 raw sugar was in 2 cwt. bags (224 lbs.). Wharfies in the sugar ports were expected to take a bag off the stack in the shed onto their back and shoulder and carry it out to the sling ship-side. The generous and caring stevedoring companies worked out that by reducing the bags to 140 lbs. they could save one man in a gang. At 224 lbs. it took two men to lift a bag onto the back of the human mule but 140 lbs. only required one with the assistance of the carrier. Most wharfies didn't weigh as much as the bags they were expected to hump. Cairns port with the long jetty was known as "the long carry". Few who worked the sugar ports lived to enjoy a long healthy retirement being broken in health by their employment. People used to wonder why they were such militant unionists. They had to be. No one else looked after their interests.

Originally Posted by 4xsama

I saw the thread topic and thought bewdey, I'm not the only only one to bang on about spuds. I grew up in Tassie where there is a big variety of potatoes from the baking to the mashing to the steaming type (Pink Eye's - Yum!). I now live in Perth where the variety is much smaller and apparently growing is controlled by some sort of Potato Mafia. Still look forward to going back to Tassie to eat spuds.

Anyhoo - I can't remember buying spuds in a 56lbs bag so back in the box with me I suppose.

I heard a story once that the variety of potatoes grown in Tassie was dictated by McDonalds.

According to the story, they wanted a variety (I don't remember which one) that produced a larger spud. That gave them longer chips (or fries if you are American) and that with longer chips, there was actually less weight in a full container of chips.

I have no idea if the story is actually true.

As for your not being able to remember 56lb bags of spuds, that might be just because you are too young. I suspect that most of us who were born shortly after the dinosaurs became extinct can remember them. We probably also remember when bags of cement went 20 to the ton.

yes you are right vnx205, special types of spuds are grown specifically to make the long chip and being able to cut them thinner cook faster , saving power etc.

the fast food companies , although in denial , are ultimately responsible for the plight of many , many , farmers , and for the very existence or should I say destruction of forests that are still being cleared for the ever increasing demand for cattle grazing land.

Originally Posted by vnx205

I heard a story once that the variety of potatoes grown in Tassie was dictated by McDonalds.

According to the story, they wanted a variety (I don't remember which one) that produced a larger spud. That gave them longer chips (or fries if you are American) and that with longer chips, there was actually less weight in a full container of chips.

I have no idea if the story is actually true.

As for your not being able to remember 56lb bags of spuds, that might be just because you are too young. I suspect that most of us who were born shortly after the dinosaurs became extinct can remember them. We probably also remember when bags of cement went 20 to the ton.

I used to know all the weights of common freight when we were carting general to small towns on the inner Darling Downs. Bottled beer was 56 dozen to the ton in country pack cartons (cardboard dividers between bottles). Wheat was in three bushel bags. We were expected to, and did, manhandle 18 gallon kegs, drums of fuel, slings of star pickets, bundles of wool packs, and other heavy awkward items. Few places had hoists or cranes.