Fertility of the Farms 



Agricultural Development in Montana Has Been Very- 

 Rapid, with an Annual Increase in Acreage and 

 Production and a Variety and Quality of 

 Products That Speak Volumes 

 for the Future 



|N AMOUNT, variety and quality, the agricultural products of 

 Montana surprise the newcomer to the state, who has heretofore 

 thought of Montana as a mining, lumbering and ranching coun- 

 try, with countless miles of mountains and treeless wastes of 

 valleys and sterile plains. The fact is, that Montana is fast 

 becoming one of the foremost agricultural states in the Union 

 Each new year shows a growth in crop production and such a 

 rapid increase in acreage devoted to agriculture as to be a 

 source of wonderment to those not thoroughly acquainted with the boundless 

 resources of the state. The United States Department of Agriculture gives the 

 total value of farm products for 1917 in the state as $103,845,000 as contrasted 

 with the average annual production of the previous five years of $62,491,000. Adding 

 dairy products, fruit and bees, it gives a total of $109,000,000 for the year. This 

 remarkable growth is due to the much larger number of acres made cultivable by 

 the influx of new settlers. It is safe to predict that within a few years Montana 

 will rank near the top among the agricultural states of the Union. 



Many Varieties of Grain. 



While wheat is the leading crop, other grains thrive in the state. Statistics 

 show that more acreage is being devoted each year to the raising of flax, oats, 

 barley, rye and corn. It has been said that an acre of land in Montana is worth 

 more than an acre elsewhere, and this statement is substantiated by the published 

 statistics of the United States Department of Agriculture which show the returns 

 per acre cultivated to be larger than in the other leading agricultural states. 



The chief root crops of the state are the potato and sugar beet. Potatoes 

 furnish one of the chief articles for food and are raised in large quantities. The 

 raising of sugar beets, while a new industry in many parts of the state, is making 

 rapid progress. In addition to these products practically every kind of garden vege- 

 table known is grown in Montana successfully. The hay crop is very important. 

 Alfalfa, timothy and clover are raised in large quantities and add much to the wealth 

 and forage supply. Peas are grown extensively for seed and canning. 



Grains Take Many Prizes. 



The quality of Montana products has always been of a high nature. The state 

 has been very successful in the production of a high quality of grain. It was only 

 about eight years ago that her farmers started sending samples of their products to 

 the great grain and land shows of the country; but since 1910 >t has won the 

 highest honors in every important American competition in grains. The first of 

 these notable victories was at the Madison Square Garden Land Show, held in New 



