Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the mangold root
To a sweet wurzel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.
J. Keats, 1820
October is the busiest month in the mangold hurling calendar. The mangolds grow rapidly during September, so that when October comes they are ready for harvesting.
On the right you can see a selection of this year’s mangolds from the Association’s patch, laid out in an attractive and artistic fashion. There is a wide range of sizes, including little ones for the kiddies.
That’s a nice tree in the background, isn’t it?
For tips on how to make your hurling as impressive as this, see our illustrated How to Hurl section.
