ESTIMATED FARM SALES 1924-25 



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Combined farm sales from 1925 crops and value of livestock products marketed 

 during the calendar year will total $122,533,000 compared with the revised esti- 

 mate of $124,474,000, the total for 1924. In this total a decrease of about 17 

 million dollars in sales of farm crops compared with the preceding season is very 

 nearly offset by an increase of little more than 15 million dollars in sales of 

 livestock and livestock products. 



The value of farm sales of crops produced in 1923, 1924 and 1925, values of 

 sales of livestock and livestock products and total farm sales of the three years 

 are placed as follows by the joint estimate of Montana State Department of 

 Agriculture and the Federal Division of Crop and Livestock Estimates: 



Value of Crops Value of Livestock Total 



YEAR For Sale Sales Farm Sales 



1923 $46,784,000 $50,872,000 $ 97,656,000 



1924 a 74,343,000 50,131,000 124,474,000 



1925 b 57,360,000 65,173,000 122,533,000 



(a) Revised estimate for 1924. 1923 final estimate. 



(b) Preliminary estimate for 1925 subject to revision next December. 



Cash from livestock sources in 1924 fell below the contribution made by crop 



sales, the large grain crop of that year causing this shift. In 1925 as was also 



the case in 1923, livestock sales have exceeded sales of crops. The total sales 



dollars of Montana farmers during the past three years has therefore been divided 



as follows: > 



Total 

 YEAR ^ Crop Sales Sale of Livestock, etc. Sales Dollar 



1923 47.9 cents 52.4 cents 100.0 cents 



1924 59.7 cents 40.3 cents 100.0 cents 



1925 46.8 cents 53.2 cents 100.0 cents 



In the above estimates the values of crop sales in the years compared repre- 

 sent, at the time estimates are made, some portion of crops still in farmers' hands 

 that is not sold by the end of the calendar year. Valuations are based on the 

 December 1 farm prices as determined by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 The total figures have their chief value in the relative changes they show between 

 the years compared and must not be considered as an actual measure each year 

 of cash income, which would be difficult to obtain closely even at the close of the 

 crop marketing season still several months away. However, with all years con- 

 sidered on the same basis the comparisons tend to become the same as that which 

 would be furnished by an actual computation. 



Cash sales of crops are based upon the estimated surplus above farm needs 

 of feed, seed and food and tends to eliminate largely, such duplication in livestock 

 values where crops are fed on farms, but cannot eliminate a small duplication 

 arising in cases of farmers purchasing locally feed for livestock that are later 

 marketed. The cash sales of livestock and livestock products are based on market- 

 ings and estimated slaughter within the state of cattle, sheep and hogs during 

 the calendar year ending December 31. Other items in the livestock group are 

 estimated conservatively from such data as is available, and on approximately 

 the same basis each year. 



