MONTANA AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS 



MONTANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK — 1975 



Moisture was generally plentiful during the 1975 crop year. Following a relatively mild 

 winter, a cold, wet spring delayed seeding. Spring flooding in a few areas caused some 

 damage to fields and irrigation waterways. Precipitation was abundant well into summer and 

 fostered more than normal bacterial and fungal infections in wheat. The high moisture also 

 caused a weathering factor in wheat, which resulted in an abnormal amount of the crop to 

 grade yellow hard. 



CROPS 



Above normal precipitation in many areas pushed yields to record and near-record levels 

 for all small grains. Row crops such as sugarbeets and corn were planted late, but generally 

 developed well during the growing season. Harvesting of all crops was delayed by rain, snow 

 and/or heavy dew and ended 10-20 days behind normal. Some counties, especially in the north- 

 central and northeastern districts, experienced varying degrees of grasshopper damage. 



Winter wheat seeding for the 1976 crops began the first week of September and was 

 virtually complete by mid-October. Soil moisture continued adequate or better throughout the 

 State, giving the 1976 winter wheat crop a good start. 



LIVESTOCK 



The drought of 1974 had its effect on ranges in the western third of the State, well into 1975, 

 but grazing prospects became much improved later in the season and livestock fared 

 significantly better than during the previous year in those areas. 



Weather during the calving season was cold and wet and many herds suffered abnormally 

 high calving losses — mainly from scours. 



Hay yields were good and feed supplies were more than adequate for the winter feeding 

 season. Grazing remained open well into December, with winter ranges in very good 

 condition. 



