ACREAGE SHIFTS IN 1928 



Nineteen twenty-eight witnessed a substantial increase in acreage plans over 

 acreage harvested in 1927, which although somewhat curtailed by dry weather in 

 case of spring plantings, resulted in a harvested area of all crops of 7,690,000 

 acres compared with the 1927 revised estimate of total harvested acreage of 

 7,535,800 acres. 



In the grain crops total 1928 shows 5,426,000 acres harvested compared with 

 5,080,000 in 1927. For seed crops the 1928 harvested acreage was 281,500 com- 

 pared with 223,000 in 1927. In hay and forage crops, largely as a result of a 

 larger 1928 abandonment, the total was 1,900,000 acres compared with 2,139,000 

 acres harvested in 1927. In this group wild hay is principally responsible for the 

 reduction. The area of wild hay cut in 1927 or 865,000 acres was probably one 

 of the largest ever cut for wild hay in Montana and came about by reason of 

 the favorable moisture of 1927. In 1928, wild hay acreage shrank to 606,000 

 acres. Miscellaneous crops in acreage harvested in 1928 show a slight increase 

 over the total for 1927. 



Acreage of crop failure in Montana in 1928 more than doubled that estimated 

 in 1927 which was a low record for the state. At 592,000 acres the 1928 crop 

 failure estimate includes a large abandonment of winter wheat acreage that 

 was re-seeded to spring wheat. 



A survey of more than 1,100 farms in September 1928 indicated for the 

 state, an increase in summer fallowed plow lands of about 11 per cent. A table 

 showing 1928 acreage estimates compared with preceding years and the 1924 

 census base follows: 



ACREAGE CHANGES 1928 



1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 



Acres A.cres Aeres Acres Acres 



TOTAL LAND AREA 93,532,840 



Land in Farms 32,735,723 



Pasture Land 22,714,811 



Improved pasture land 4,144,050 



Wild ;. 17,249,146 



Woodland 1,311,615 



Other Land 1,546,688 



Total Crop Land 8,650,000 8,691,000 



Total Acres in Crops 6,595,000 6,797,000 



Grain Crops Total 4,526,000 4,490,000 



Corn 420,000 399,000 



All Wheat 3,163,0o0 3,250,000 



Winter Wheat 620.^00 224,000 



Spring Wheat 2,543,000 3,026,000 



♦Durum Wheat 39,000 32,000 



Oats 550,000 605,000 



Barley 104,000 156.(00 



Rye 80,000 80,000 



Other Crops Total 320,000 347.000 



Beans 25,000 37.000 



Seed Peas 24.000 28,000 



Flaxseed 246.000 244,000 



Clover Seed (sweet) 3,000 7,000 



Alfalfa Seed 19,000 28.000 



All Hay and Forage 1,879,000 1,882,000 



Timothy 100,000 100.000 



All Clover 51,000 55,000 



Timothy and Clover Mixed .... 157.000 157,000 



Alfalfa Hay 598,000 604,000 



Grain Cut for Hay 190,000 211,000 



All Other Tame Hay 110,000 105.000 



Wild Hay (cut) 673,000 650.000 



Potatoes 34,000 35,000 



Other Vegetables 5,000 5,000 



Sugar Beets 31.000- 30,000 



Canning Peas 1.900 3,100 



Crop Failure 308.000 373,000 



Idle and Fallow Land 1,750,000 1,800,000 



Fruit Crops (acres) 8.000 8,000 



Apple Trees (number) 712,000 650,000 



Plums (number) 19.000 19,000 



* Durum wheat included in Spring Wheat. 



19 



