"■^^^w w m Eva Yeo picking potatoes in 1941. The export of potatoes prior to 1926 was restricted to the fall and spring seasons. The introduction of refrigerated rail cars made shipment possible year round. The Potato Growers Association purchased 11,000 tons of fertilizer in 1926 at a cost of $27.44 per ton. The fertilizer was delivered by steamer from Baltimore to Island ports. Also in 1926, the Sabotewan was loaded at Charlottetown with 190,000 bushels of seed potatoes. This was thought to be the world's largest shipment of potatoes up to this date. In 1927, up to 70% of seed potato shipments made by 31 January were carried by sea. During the late 1920s the seed potato acreage on P.E.I , increased and seed was exported under the brand name "Garden of the Gulf". This was the brand name of the P.E.I. Potato Growers Association—which by 1930 had 3000 members. Island potatoes now had a reputable name and the Island potato industry had been revoluntionized in a little over ten years. In 1930, P.E.I , ranked fourth among the provinces in potato production with an average price of fifty cents per bushel. Production generally increased until 1932 when acreage decreased by 40% and the price dropped to six cents per bushel (ten cents per CWT). These decreases in production and price were due to stiff competition from Maine and New Brunswick and a 75' per CWT tariff introduced in the U.S . on all imports of Canadian seed potatoes. In 1933, the U.S . offered loans to farmers for planting their crop, and on P.E.I , and in New Brunswick crop mortgages were available. This produced a glut of potatoes on the market and sparked off of a highly competitive marketplace. The glut was felt in Freetown in the spring of 1935. This was indicated by a motion read at the 4 June, 1935 meeting of the Dunk River Farmers Institute: "Moved by D.M. Bernard seconded by Eldon Drummond that we fall in line with the asking of bans for our 1934 potato crop;' This motion was passed and was followed by a resolution; "Moved by John Lewis , seconded by R.B. Auld . "Resolved that along with our bans we urge upon the Government the need of more extensive markets especially the Cuban Market!' In 1937, drought struck and reduced yields. Austin Scales , for example has an average yield of 175 bushels per acre. Some countries such as Argentina expressed an interest in Island seed potatoes and sent delegates to investigate. The 1938 season was also poor. Austin Scales yield went down to 123 bushels per acre over 77 acres planted. The 1940s brought some improvements to the potato industry. Irish and continued to be the main varieties of seed potatoes but others were becoming popular. A report on seed potato inspection across the province for 1947 gives the following breakdown: 48