TREND OF /£A^ ACREAGE 



—2:eee;eee- 



-.^-^i 



Production of both tame hays and wild 

 hay fell off in 1928 compared with 1927. 

 The 1927 production, however, was the 

 largest ever cut in Montana so that, al- 

 though reduced, the 1928 crop plus carry- 

 over of old hay gave the state a total 

 supply well above average. 



Total production of tame hays in 1928 

 was 2,558,000 tons from 1,294,000 acres 

 cut with an average yield per acre of 1.98 

 tons. In 1927, 1.274,000 acres with an av- 

 erage yield of 2.12 tons produced 2,706,000 

 tons of tame hays. 



Production of wild hay in 1928 was 545,- 

 000 tons from 606,000 acres with an aver- 

 age acre yield of 0.90 tons. In 1927 from 

 865,000 acres with an average yield per 

 acre of 1.15 tons, the production was 995,- 

 000 tons. 



Total production of hay in 1928 was 

 3,103,000 tons compared with 3,701,000 

 tons in 1927 and 2,484,000 tons in 1926. Acreage of all hay in these years was: 

 1,900,000 acres in 1928; 2,139,000 acres in 1927 and 1,884,000 acres in 1926. 



Acreage, yield per acre and production of hay by varieties for 1928 and 1927 

 is shown in the following table. 





L£6£/^D: 



"Tofa/' 



TAME HAY BY VARIETIES 



Variety Acreage Yield Per Acre 



1928 1927 1928 1927 



Timothy 106,000 101,000 1.50 1.60 



Mixed Clover and Timothy 162,000 154,000 1.80 1.90 



Alfalfa 689,000 710,000 2.35 2.50 



Grain Hay 168,000 140,000 1.30 1.40 



Sweet Clover 67,000 56,000 1.90 1.80 



Miscellaneous Hay 102,000 113,000 1.40 1.52 



TOTAL 1,294,000 1,274,000 1.98 2.12 



OATS 



Oats production in 1928 was 20,221,000 bushels from an acreage of 554,000 

 acres and an average yield per acre of 36.5 bushels. In 1927 production of 23,- 

 840,000 bushels was harvested from 596,000 acres with an average acre yield of 40.0 

 bushels. The decrease in oats acreage appeared to be influenced both by the dry 

 weather at seeding time as well as by a growing popularity of barley as a feed 

 crop compared with oats. Along with decreasing horse numbers in recent years 

 and increasing numbers of dairy cattle and hogs, there has been evident a down- 

 ward trend of oats acreage and an increase of other feed crops. 



BARLEY 



An increased acreage in barley was again shown in 1928 when acreage was 

 placed at 209,000 compared with 195,000 in 1927. In 1920 barley acreage was but 

 64,000 acres or about 12 per cent of the oats acreage. In 1924 barley acreage 

 was 18 per cent of the oats acreage. In 1928 barley acreage was 37 per cent of 

 the oats acreage. 



Production of barley in 1928 was 6,374,000 bushels compared with 6,435,000 

 bushels in 1927. The average yield per acre in 1928 was 30.5 bushels compared 

 with 33.0 bushels in 1927. The lower yield per acre in 1928 slightly more than 

 offset the increased acreage of 1928 compared with 1927. 



30 



