Variety Acres entered for Inspection

Irish Cobblers 12,717 Green Mountains 11,283 Katahdins 2,747 Sebagoes 6,814 Sequoia 146 Chippeaw 37 Houma 20 Others 10 Total Acreage = 33,774

There were four main varieties with Sebagoes starting to challenge the long standing Irish Cobblers and Green Mountains.

Seed potato inspection also improved in the 1940s. In 1947, a Provincial Act was passed requiring the seeding of “Foundation”, “Foundation A” and “Certified” potatoes only on P.E.I. The Island was the first province to inaugurate such an inspection system. Arrangements were made for a complete inspection of all potatoes; a great step forward for potato growers.

Equipment for potato growing improved in the 1940s. Gasoline powered tractors came into wide usage by the late forties in the Freetown area. Tractors with familiar names like John Deere, Cockshutt, Allis Chalmers, Farmall, and Massey Harris appeared. These tractors replaced horses in hauling potato planter, harrows, ploughs, cultivators, sprayers and diggers.

Also by the late 19405 the beater diggers were being replaced by a type of elevator digger built by Hoover, John Deere and other companies. The first elevator diggers would elevate the potatoes on a chain which passed over cogs designed to shake out the dirt. The potatoes were deposited on the ground and gathered by potato pickers using baskets. The baskets were dumped into a barrel or, by the late 19405 into bags. The elevator digger soon had an addition called a bagger which eliminated potato pickers and baskets. With the new system, bags were either directly loaded from the bagger on to a trailing tractor and wagon or placed on the ground for later pick up.

For interest sake, the cost of various equipment in previous years is presented.

1934 1946 Harrows (3 section) 45.00 1 Ford Tractor 900.00 Rake (1 horse) 40.00 2 Row Potato Planter 500.00 Rake (Team) 60.00 2 Furrow Plow 200.00 Plow (1 Furrow) 23.00 2 Row Cultivator 380.00 Mower-Hay 65.00 1 Row Cultivator 185.00 Planter Iron Age 1 row 85.00 Grain Drill 300.00 Dish Harrows 145.00 Grain Binder 426.00 Combine Seeder 64.00 Potato Sprayer 280.00 2 Truck Wagon 135.00 ea. 270.00 Land Cultivator 200.00 1 Cart 22.00 Hay Rake 185.00 1 Potato Scuffler 12.00 1 Hay Mower 140.00 1 set of Disc to cover Potatoes 30.00 1 Manure Spreader 156.00 1 Grain Thresher 35.00 2 Ransome Diggers 410.00 2 Wood sleighs 42.00 1 set of Bob Sleighs 38.00 1 Potato Grader 125.00 1 Elevator Digger 134.00 1 Team work horses 255.00 1 Driving Horse 130.00

$1620.00 $4,262.00

The 19405 were generally good for potato farmers, even though potato diseases continued to attack the crops. Ring rot was becoming a serious problem and Mr. S.G. Peppin and Mr. Henry MacLaren of the Potato Inspection Division recommended the late blight be kept under control with the use of bluestone (copper sulphate) and a chemical called Perenox.