34 MONTANA : INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES 



Wheat is the leading crop in Montana and also the chief farm product. 



In 1922 its value was $41,162.500 ; it occupied 3.009.000 acres, more than equalling 



the value and the acreage of the eight other major crops com- 



Crop and Stock bined. These eight other crops were valued at $39,492,000 and 



Statistics occupied 2.932.000 acres. The value per acre of wheat was 



exceeded only by sugar beets, potatoes and flax. Hay in 1922 



held second place in crop acreage and Aalue and second place among farm products. 



The crop was worth $22,808,000 and occupied 1.737.000 acres. 



Cattle and calves sold and slaughtered ranked third in farm products with 

 a value of $18,560,000. The decided bent toward diversification is shown by the 

 fact that combined, dairy, poultry products and honey, took fourth place among 

 the farm products with a total value of $17,498,000. The sheep industry, both 

 wool and mutton, ranked fifth with an output valued at $14,019,000. 



The acreage, total value, and value per aci'e of the other major crops in 

 1922 were: Oats, 700.000 acres, value $7.104.0<X>. per acre value. $11.84; corn, 

 219,000 acres, value $2,JX)2.000. per acre value $13.25: potatoes 46.000 acres, value 

 $2,318,000, per acre value $50.40; flax, 127.000 acres, value $1,751,000. per acre 

 value $13.79; sugar beets, 13,500 acres, value $1,022,500, per acre vallxe $75.00; rye, 

 126,000 acres, value $987,000. per acre value $7.83; barley, 77,000 acres, value 

 $1>62,000, per acre value $12..jO: apples, value $610,000. 



While wheat will probably continue to be Montana's leading crop, its rela- 

 tive importance is certain to be diminished at the rate of increase shown by 

 other crops which are adapted to diversified farming. The 

 Crop Production acreage in wheat is declining, that in oats and hay is holding 



Tendencies its own, while the acreage in rye and corn is consistently in- 

 creasing. All these are feed as well as cash crops. Corn and 

 rye, experience has proved, are more certain crops on the non-irrigated farm than 

 wheat and are better adapted to swine and stock raising. In the past five years 

 the acreage in corn has more than doubled and that of rye was six times larger 

 in 1922 than in 1918. The acreage in sugar beets, flax, beans, peas for seed 

 and canning and other crops indicative of increased diversification are also 

 expanding. 



While the last federal census in Montana showed there were thirty-seven 

 million acres of land in farms, there were only eleven million acres of im- 

 proved land, fifteen per cent, of which was irrigated. Of the 



Irrigation 58,000 farms in the .state. 11.000 were irrigated. 



Statistics. The agricultural opportiuiities in Montana can perhaps be 



Honiesteading \ isualized by further reference to the census. The average size 



Era Gone of a Montana farm was 608 acres, of which 198 acres, or 31.4 



per cent, were improved. Only Wyoming and New Mexico have 

 larger farms and only North and South Dakota have a larger improved acreage 

 per farm than Montana, but in the percentage of improved acreage per farm, Mon- 

 tana does not rank high. With more settlement, the acreage per farm will de- 

 cline but the percentage of improved acreage will increase. Homesteading. so far 

 as good land is concerned, is a thing of the past in Montana. The opportunity 

 today is to improve and expand upon the \\ork of the pioneer settlers. 



Besides the land actually irrigated the year the census was taken, the state 

 irrigation commission reports there are approximately a million acres more that 

 can be irrigated by works being constructed or proposed or by works built but not 

 in use. Among others, on federal reclamation and Indian projects there are 

 200.000 acres, in districts organized under state laws 400.000. and on Carey act 

 projects 85,000 acres. When this land is being farmed, there is still an addi- 

 tional two million acres that is susceptible of irrigation. 



