About Prince Edward Island Farmer
The Prince Edward Island Farmer began publication in 1878. It had only been published for several months by Schurman Bros. when it ceased publication, not to be resumed until 1889 by the Pioneer Publishing Co. In 1878, the Island Farmer was primarily an agricultural paper, featuring articles on farming. Poetry, fiction, articles on household management, and short new articles were published as well. During the 1890s, local coverage of agriculture and news was very good. Editorials discussed issues of local concern to farmers, including health regulations, trade, and processing facilities for farm products. During the first two decades of the twentieth century, the Island Farmer's editorials promoted the improvement of agriculture on P. E. I. by supporting Farmers' Institutes, Women's Institutes, more intensive farming methods, agricultural exhibitions, improved seed, honest sales practicesand, during world War I, improved pork production for the war effort.
After 1910 the amount of news in the paper gradually increased while the agricultural content decreased until the paper ceased publication in 1947. News reporting in the paper tended to feature anecdotal human interest stories, although the quality of reporting did improve in the 1940s. The Island Farmer supported the Liberal party from 1910 onwards, fighting for lower tariffs and freight rates. During the 1920s, articles on fox farming appeared regularly in the paper. Photographs did not become a regular feature in the Island Farmer until the late 1930s, but by the 1940s they were used constantly. At about the same time, comic strips, crossword puzzles, a woman's page and several columns were all introduced to the paper. In 1948 the Island Farmer, the sister paper of the Pioneer, ceased publication.
