i-l '^f 



STATE OF MONTANA 



PREFACE 



The first issue of Montana A<iric'ultural Statistics, prepared under a 

 co-operative agreement between the Montana Department of Aoriciilture, 

 Labor and Industry and the Bureau of Agricultural Economic, United States 

 Department of Airriculture was published in December, 1946. Additional funds 

 were contributed toward the i)roject by the IMontana Water Conservation Board 

 and the IMontana Chamber of Commerce. The second issue of Montana Agri- 

 cultural Statistics is made available through continuation of the co-operative 

 agreement and with funds appropriated by the thirtieth session of the Montana 

 Legislature. Since the agricultural statistics program of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture covers the preparation of information only on the 

 "state" level, it would not l)e possible for the Montana B. A. E. office to com- 

 pile the county information in this bulletin without contributions from a co- 

 operating agency. Thus, through the co-operative agreements, much greater 

 use is made of a wide variety of data collected by both the state and federal 

 departments from producers, processors, dealers and shippers of agricultural 

 products. 



Many persons associated with the agricultural industry, have ready need 

 for statistics contained in this bulletin. It serves as a reference and guide to : 

 farmers and stockmen as a record of crop and livestock production for their 

 counties, which assist them in planning their individual production programs ; 

 persons engaged in developing plans for future irrigation projects by providing 

 county and state statistics relating to irrigated and non-irrigated lands; state 

 and federal planning and development agencies in formulating their farm and 

 ranch production programs; railroads as a basis for car distribution and ord- 

 erly movement of crops and livestock to market; bankers and other loaning 

 concerns in the determination of farm and ranch credit rates; all industries 

 connected with agriculture, such as machinery manufacturers, fertilizer manu- 

 facturers, seed houses, etc., for determination of quantities to be manufactured, 

 the location of manufacturing plants and methods of distributing their prod- 

 ucts. The use of agricultural statistics is far reaching. 



CONTENTS OF BULLETIN' 



This bulletin presents a series of state statistics for the yt-Ars 1929 to 

 1947 and county statistics for the years 1946 and 1947. The December, 1946, 

 issue contained a long-time historical series of state data ending with the year 

 1945 and county data for the years 1944 and 1945. Where state information 

 prior to 1929 is desired, it will be necessary to refer to the December, 1946. 

 issue. Some revisions of the state statistics have been made for recent years 

 and in such cases the figures appearing in this bulletin supersede those in the 

 first issue. This bulletin consists of the following : 



L DIAGRAM : 



1. "Value of Production — 1947" shows the relative importance of 

 IMontana agriculture with its mineral and timber products. 



