CROP PRODUCTION STATISTICS 



15 



WINTER WHEAT 1925 



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Of 650,000 acres of winter wheat seeded in the fall of 1924 for id^ l^arvest 

 only 195,000 acres survived. The 10-year average abandonment for the ciop in 

 Montana is 13.8 per cent ranging from 4.5 per cent in 1920 to 70 per cent last 

 winter (1924-1925). The bulk of the damage to the 1925 crop came as a result 

 of an unusual cold wave occurring about December 14, 1924, in which minima 

 of 50 to 55 degrees below zero were recorded at points in the state following a 

 period of weather with temperatures considerably above freezing point. Alternate 

 thawing and freezing later was a contributing factor as well as the unfavorable 

 weather in April which killed off some of the weaker plants. 



Yields on the acreage remaining for harvest were fairly satisfactory, the 

 state averaging 14.5 bushels compared with 17.1 bushels for the crop of 1924 and 

 15.1 bushels the five year average. 



Quality of winter wheat was 85 per cent compared with the 10-year average 

 of 88 per cent. 



ESTIMATED WEIGHT PER MEASURED BUSHEL MONTANA GRAIN (Pounds) 



MONTANA FLOUR PRODUCTION 



Nearly 20 per cent of Montana's wheat production in 1924 was ground within 

 the State during the 1924-25 season, when 56 operating mills ground 9,337,994 

 bushels of wheat, producing 2,109,019 barrels of flour with a market value of 

 $9,523,776. 



The 1924-25 grind of 2,101,019 barrels compares with 1,400,539 barrels in 

 1923 ; 1,263,906 barrels in 1922 ; 1,271,861 barrels in 1919 ; 871,918 barrels in 1914 ; 

 and 375,440 barrels in 1909, indicating the steady growth in the State's milling 

 industry during the past twenty years. 



By-products! of mill feeds in the 1924-25 grind amounted to 74,282 tons com- 

 pared with 47,958 tons in 1923-24. 



The rated daily capacity of mills in 1924-25 was 12,864 barrels for the 56 

 operating mills, there being 10 mills not operating that year. Flour extraction 

 was placed at 4.44 bushels to the barrel. 



Included in the production statistics above there were about 119,000 barrels in 

 the 1924-25 grind that were milled in exchange for w^heat hauled in by farmers. 

 During the preceding season about 107,000 barrels were ground in exchange. 



Following is a table showing flour and mill-feed production in the State 

 since 1909: 



1924-25 1923-24 1922-23 1919-20 1914-15 1909-10 



•Number Mills 66 66 66 6'9 33 12 



Bbls. Flour, 196 lbs 2,101,019 1,400,539 1,263,096 1,271,861 871,918 375,440 



#Mill Feed, Tons 74,282 47,958 47,015 53,629 43,314 14,036 



•Number of mills show total in state including those not operating. 



#Mill feed production prior to 1923 includes some of cereal mills for 1922, 1919 

 and 1914. 



Data for 1919, 1914 and 1909 from U. S. Bureau of Census; other data is that of 

 Montana Trade Commission. 



