on which the barrels were loaded, and hauled to Mike McIver’s warehouse in Kinkora for grading and shipment.

Mr. McIver, born at Hampton, was a former resident of Kelly's Cross Parish. The McIver farm at Hampton is now owned by Boyd Mc— Donald. Mr. McIver is well known as a pioneer in the potato industry in this province. He moved from here with his wife and family to Caribou, .Iaine, in 1906, and later moved to VanBuren where he farmed and grew a large acreage of potatoes. He learned in a practical way. the techniques of growing, storing, and marketing potatoes.

In 1917 he supplied seed and fertilizer to Theodore McIver and John C. Gallant to grow about 25 acres in Newton. The first variety grown was Empire State; and the fertilizer came in barrels. In November of that year they loaded 9 cars of potatoes, in bulk, ungraded and shipped them to St Leonard, New Brunswick, to be hauled from there to McIver’s storage in VanBuren. In 1918 his brother, Eugene, came home from west- <-rn Canada, and he and John C. Gallant grew 65 acres in Newton.

This continued for a couple of years while Mike bought a farm in Kinkora, built a warehouse and a new home. This home is now owned by the Sisters of St. Martha. He sold his property in Maine and moved to Kinltora, P.E.I. in 1921, to give all his attention to growing and marketing potatoes here. To this industrious man much credit is due for the estab— lishment of an industry that has made a great contribution to the economy of our province.

The silver foxes which were first ranched and bred by enterprising men in Western Prince County brought a boom to P.E.I. in the teens and twenties. Pelts and breeding stock were in demand in other Canadian provinces, U.S.A., and Europe. Everyone was interested, but breeding stock was very expensive; however, a few of our people got into fox ranch- ing on a small scale. Some of these were William Carragher and Patrick McGee of Brookvale, Ephriam Malone and James D. Flood of South Mel- ville, and John H. Nantes, Maplewood.

Some others invested money in the industry with large ranchers. The fox had made P.E.I. famous in this and other continents, and indeed some of the people who got into the business early made large sums of money. During the thirties, the price of pelts dropped below the cost of production, and so the fox industry disappeared never to return, at least as it once was.

The women in these years can never be given enough credit for the manner in which they managed their homes. They helped with the work in the fields, spun the wool into yarn, knitted the yarn into socks and mitts, made at least some of the clothing for their families. As well. they had to bake the bread and prepare all food that was eaten in the home. It was not possible to buy food ready to serve at it is today. Com- bining art and endurance, the mothers, with the capable assistance of their daughters, looked after all these chores in fine style, and were always available to lend a helping hand to a neighbour in need or assist in a community project.

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