Wilbert Reeves, age 84, harvesting his 76th crop in Sept., 1956. He was assisted by his two sons Henry and Orville (not shown).

The above breakdown indicates the common method of growing and selling potatoes and shows that 10 bushels of seed were planted per acre.

In the 18905 a few starch factories appeared and by 1902 there were five on P.E.I. an impressive figure considering there were only six in all of Canada. A ton of starch required about 210 bushels of potatoes and some factories could process ten tons of starch per day. The potatoes were taken to the factories directly

from the fields. Also in the 18905 Paris Green, an insecticide, came into wide usage for controlling of the Colorado Potato Beetle.

In the early 19005 potato production decreased across the province. This was probably due to another ravage by the Colorado Potato Beetle and late blight. Potato production decreased by 100 acres on Lot 25 between 1890-1920 whereas Lot 26 showed a slight increase in acreage during the same interval. In 1910 there were 30,600 acres of potatoes grown in the province, but the average yield was low at 135.6 bushels per acre. Farmers got a return of33¢ per bushel or a meagre 55¢ per hundredweight. The main varieties grown during this period were Dakota Red and McIntyre Blues. Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were the main export markets for the MacIntyre Blues whereas Cuba purchased both Dakota Reds and MacIntyre Blues. Other varieties grown for tablestock were: Bliss Triumph, Black Kidney, Early Rose, Early Surprise, Burpee’s Superior, White Star, Carmen Number One and Jenny Lind.

There is little written on the implements used in growing potatoes up to this time. The soil was ploughed and cultivated by horsepower and the plough was used to make a furrow for planting the seeds. Potato digging was also done with a plough. By the 18905 blacksmiths and machinists were manufacturing a number of potato diggers. These manufacturers included: McKenzie and Sobey Hampton, P.E.I.; Wm. McKenzie, Southport; H.T. LePage, Charlottetown; Mutch and Ings, Southport; J.H. McKenzie, Lot 48; and Parker Burleigh, Houlton, Maine. These were probably the forerunners of the beater diggers. A beater digger consisted of a steel shear which went under the row of potatoes and the beaters which spread the potatoes and clay behind it. The first beater diggers had only one prong at each spoke with eight to ten spokes. An improved model had two prongs at each spoke and these could throw the potatoes and dirt much farther. The most common two prong beater digger was the “Ransome”.

Potatoes were picked in baskets and then dumped into a box cart hauled by one horse. The box cart was then dumped into the cellar or basement ofa building. The lack of storage space restricted the quantity of potatoes grown by each farmer to less than ten acres.

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