6 AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS 



MONTANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK— 1960 



Total 1960 crop production on a weight basis, excluding fruit, was one percent below 1959 but 

 six percent above the 1949-58 average. The acreage of all crops harvested was down one percent 

 from 1959 and six percent below average. 



Crops: Moisture supplies were mostly adequate at the beginning of the 1960 growing season 

 and weather was favorable. Field work started in the south central area at normal dates during 

 the latter part of March and made rapid progress. High winds together with only light precipitation 

 during mid-April depleted moisture reserves but heavy snow later in the month and in early May 

 greatly improved the moisture situation. Wet fields delayed field work but warmer weather near 

 the middle of May dried fields and accelerated spring planting. 



Prospects for the winter wheat crop were bright. Very little had winter-killed and stands were 

 good in nearly all areas. Cool temperatures in May favored stooling. Early growth of spring seeded 

 grains was hindered somewhat by cold temperatures, root rot, and cut worms. Some reseeding was 

 necessary. Spring crops also stooled well. Warm weather in June accelerated growth and crops 

 progressed rapidly until the last week of the month when lack of moisture again slowed growth 

 of non-irrigated crops. By early July, moisture was deficient in virtually all counties. Hot, dry 

 weather forced maturity, and reduced yield prospects. Range grasses matured earlier than normal. 

 The droughty weather continued through August. The exception to the droughty situation was the 

 extreme northeast part of the State where favorable summer rains contributed to one of the best 

 crop seasons in several years. 



Winter wheat harvest was underway during the last week in July and combining of other 

 small grains began in August. The harvest of small grain crops was completed by mid-September 

 and digging of sugar beets was completed in early November. 



Production of all wheat in 1960 was 79,397,000 bushels. This was 2 percent above the 1959 

 crop of 77,974,000 bushels and placed Montana in fifth place in wheat production in the Nation. 

 Winter wheat at 45,954,000 bushels was 4 percent over 1959. Production of spring wheat, excluding 

 durum, at 29,699,000 bushels was 7 percent under the 1959 crop of 31,965,000 bushels. Durum 

 production of 3,744,000 bushels was more than double the previous year's crop. 



Oats production of 7,530,000 bushels was 4 percent less than the previous year. The barley 

 crop totaled 40,044,000 bushels, a 21 percent decline from a year earlier. The mustard seed crop 

 was estimated at 22,414,000 pounds and ranked an easy first in the nation. This crop compared 

 with 18,528,000 pounds in 1959. 



The alfalfa seed crop was good and at 5,300,000 pounds it exceeded the 1959 crop by 43 per- 

 cent. Crested wheatgrass seed production was also relatively good. It totaled 675,000 pounds. 



Montana ranked seventh in the production of sugar beets in 1960 with a crop of 841,000 tons. 

 This was 2 percent larger than the 1959 tonnage. Early frosts reduced the potato crop somewhat 

 and at 1,148,000 cwt., the 1960 output was 8 percent below the previous year. The production of 

 dry beans including mostly Great Northern and Pintos, totaled 200,000 cwt., and compares with 

 216,000 cwt. in 1959. 



Hay cuttings were the smallest in 4 years. They totaled 2,900,000 tons, 3 percent under 1959. 

 Of this total 1,762,000 tons were alfalfa, 470,000 tons were wild hay, 331,000 tons were clover- 

 timothy and the remainder was other tame hay including grain hay, wheatgrass hay and miscel- 

 laneous mixtures. 



Production of sour cherries in 1960 was only 10 tons, the smallest of record. Sweet cherry 

 production totaled 1,400 tons as compared to 1,350 tons in 1959. The apple crop was also the 

 smallest ever harvested and totaled only 20,000 bushels of commercial apples. 



Livestock: Montana's cattle and calf population decreased 4 percent during 1960 to 2,155,000 

 head on January 1, 1961. The decline was largely the result of droughty conditions in spring and 

 early summer. The summer and fall months of 1960 were marked with rather violent price changes. 

 Prices received by growers for beef cattle advanced to a peak in April then dropped in July and 

 rose again to a somewhat lower peak in September from which level they declined seasonally. 

 Marketings of cattle and calves during 1960 totaled 1,122,000 head, an increase of 16 percent from 

 1959. Sheep and lambs numbered 1,768,000 head on January 1, 1961, a decrease of 6 percent 

 during the year 1960. 



Hogs on farms January 1, 1961 totaled 151,000 head, same as a year earlier. The chicken 

 population at 1,170,000 head on January 1, 1961 represented a decrease of 65,000 for the year. 



