MONTANA AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS 7 



MONTANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK — 1973 



Montana experienced extreme climatic contrasts during the 1973 crop year. There was a 

 severe drought in the western third of the State which faded to good moisture in the south- 

 eastern third. The division between the extremes roughly followed a line from Malta, south- 

 west to Great Falls, then to Helena and southeast to Livingston. During the main growing 

 season, Conrad was the driest point from a percentage standpoint, receiving 3.66 inches of 

 moisture or 38 percent of normal. The other extreme was Miles City, which received 16.03 

 inches or 175 percent of normal. Other points and the percents of normal were: Jordan, 132; 

 Billings and Livingston, both 93; Havre, 88; Cut Bank, 54; Augusta, 40; and Libby, 43. Rains, 

 which began falling in September, gave some benefit to rangelands and winter wheat 

 seedings. 



CROPS 



The State's 1973 winter wheat crop emerged from an open and dry winter in fair to good 

 condition. When small grain seeding began in early April, topsoil moisture was adequate in 

 the eastern and southcentral areas but short elsewhere. A severe blizzard in mid-April helped 

 soak topsoils but added little to the critically short mountain snowpack. By the end of May, 

 spring seedings were mostly complete but newly-planted crops in the droughty areas were 

 only in fair condition. This general situation prevailed through the growing season, with crop 

 conditions ranging mainly from poor to fair in the northwest, northcentral and central 

 districts; fair to good in the central and southwest, and good to excellent in the eastern 

 sections. Irrigation water became critically short in the western third which affected mainly 

 hay and pastures, farmers having allotted their water to their more valuable crops. The 

 dryness which continued through the growing season hastened maturity and lowered yields. 



Winter wheat harvest got started late in July and the heat and drought provided nearly 

 ideal harvest weather. Harvest operations for all crops kept well ahead of normal until 

 completion of sugarbeet digging in late October. 



LIVESTOCK 



Livestock were on supplemental feed during most of the winter, even though some grazing 

 was possible dur to the open and dry winter. A snowstorm which occurred during the last half 

 of April caused some losses, with areas of central Montana reporting significant calf and lamb 

 deaths. The spring, summer and fall grazing seasons were dry in the western two-thirds of the 

 State, providing limited forage. Hay crops were also light and some culling of cow herds 

 resulted. More than a normal amount of grain was cut for hay to augment hay supplies. 

 Livestock were moved from summer ranges ahead of schedule. Helping the fall feed 

 shortages was mild fall weather which permitted the grazing of crop residues and fall 

 pastures. 



At the end of the grazing season, pastures and ranges showed the effects of drought and 

 some overgrazing. Livestock were in fair to good condition for most of the season, although 

 calf weights were below normal in the droughty areas. 



