Land rental ........................................................ 5.05 per acre

Machinery ......................................................... 8.20 per acre Interest ........................................................... 4.00 per acre Insurance .......................................................... 1.25 per acre Miscellaneous ...................................................... 4.12 per acre Management ....................................................... 7.50 per acre Total cost $110.62 per acre Loss 32.36 per acre

The breakdown of costs shows what was involved in growing potatoes at that time. Chemical fertilizer had come into major usage on RBI. in the early 1920’s. The use of this fertilizer was promoted by the Department of Agriculture and the P.E.I. Potato Growers Association. The Potato Growers Association had its beginnings on 12 April, 1920 and consisted of potato growers and dealers intent on improving the potato industry. They educated farmers to grow new varieties of potatoes and to improve their methods of seed selection, cultivation, spraying and inspection. The Association arranged for the sale and promotion of seed potatoes and purchased fertilizer, pesticides, bags, scales, tags, graders and other items required for improved crops. In 1924, the Association purchased six thousand tons of fertilizer, twenty—six thousand dollars worth of insecticides and thirteen thousand dollars worth of potato sacks.

The first potato sacks were 90 pounds capacity but this increased to 165 pound bags which were in turn replaced by 150 pound bags. The larger bags had factory sewn lugs or ears sewn at the bottom corners for carrying. There was usually someone in the grading crew who specialized in sewing with a bag needle. Austin Scales, and Simmons & MarFarlane were both members of the Potato Growers Association and they competed in the annual field trials. Leslie Simmons & Silas MacFarlane started their partnership in growing seed potatoes in 1925. In 1925, they owned over 400 acres of land in Freetown. In 1925, Austin Scales shipped Sebago potatoes to the Canadian Mexico Trading Co. in Havana, Cuba. The price of potatoes was very good that year. Austin Scales grew 105 acres and reaped a profit of $347.06 per acre. Simmons & MacFarlane also had a good year due to the good price and large crop, and got the boost they needed to become established in the potato business. In 1925, another Freetown firm, Lewis & Lewis, was growing seed potatoes. They grew Irish Cobblers and Green Mountains and received prices ranging from $1.00 to $1.75 per bushel for their potatoes.

Colby and John Lewis developed a market for their seed potatoes in Long Island, New York with their chief contact being E.H. King. In 1925, they loaded a boat at Summerside for shipment to Mr. King. Potatoes were trucked to Summerside at a cost of 15t to 20“ per bag, depending on the haul distance. Growers in Freetown, Lot 16, Linkletter, Bedeque and New Annan helped supply potatoes for this shipment. The loading

cost for the boat is broken down:

Labour to load boat ................................................. $ 88.80 Demurrage ........................................................ 47.00 Labour, papering cars ............................................... 4.20 American Counsul .................................................. 5.50 Lloyd Lewis’ Lawyer fee ............................................. 5.00 Tar paper for car doors .............................................. 1.10 Telephone ......................................................... .75 Other ............................................................. .40 Total $151.75

The potatoes were shipped in 150 and 165 pound bags. Lewis & Lewis harvested 4737 barrels of potatoes in 1925. Their cost for hauling and picking these potatoes was $452.53. In 1926, they picked 6490 barrels at a cost of $544.03. Harvesting began on 28 September and was completed by 20 October. An ordinary potato picker could pick thirty-five to sixty barrels per day and in the mid 1920’s was paid six cents per barrel. One man who picked for Lewis & Lewis for several years was Peter Pineau from Rustico. He would average around 100 barrels a day. Several others tried to beat his record but very few came near. The crop yield in 1926 was the highest for the period with Austin Scales reporting an average yield of 317.6 bushels per acre. This yield was not matched until 1950.

There were three potato storage warehouses located at the rail siding in Upper Freetown. These warehouses were built by Austin Scales, Simmons & MacFarlane and Lewis & Lewis. These allowed the loading of potatoes directly onto rail cars in all seasons of the year. Simmons & MacFarlane also used a warehouse owned by Robert C. Auld for storage.

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