4 AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS 



FOREWORD 



Agriculture is Montana's leading industry. Cash receipts from farm marketings and gov- 

 ernment payments totaled $567.8 million in 1966. Montana farms and ranches provided 

 employment for 62,000 persons, and related enterprises furnished employment for many more. 



Agriculture is undergoing constant change. Average farm size is expanding. Investment 

 in the farm enterprise continues to rise. Yields are being pushed to new highs. The relative 

 importance of a single farm unit to the economy of the Community, State, and Nation is 

 increasing. 



Complete and accurate information contributes to the success of any enterprise, whether 

 farm unit, private business or corporation. Many people are aware of the annual changes in 

 agriculture but it is the job of the Statistical Reporting Service to measure these changes. The 

 statistics in this bulletin provide the "yardstick" for measuring the relative prosperity of Mon- 

 tana's foremost industry. 



The data in this publication were assembled with the cooperation of public-spirited Mon- 

 tana people who \Gh:n;arily provided confidential information concerning their individual 

 operations. While most of the basic information was obtained from farmers and ranchers, 

 much supplemental information was acquired from sugarbcet companies, mills and elevators, 

 bean companies, seed processors and dealers, slaughter plants, hatcheries, manufacturers of dairy 

 products, auction markets, railroad companies and others. 



State agencies, in addition to those in the Montana State Department of Agriculture which 

 contributed significantly were the Livestock Commission, Livestock Sanitary Board. Railroad 

 and Public Service Commission, and the Board of Equalization. Agencies of the U. S. govern- 

 ment which furnished extensive record material were the Agricultural Stabilization and Con- 

 servation Ser\-ice, Soil Conservation Service. Weather Bureau, and the Extension Service. Credit 

 and thanks are due to these and all others who assisted the Statistical Reporting Service in 

 making data available. Funds for the printing of this publication were furnished by the Mon- 

 tana State E>epartmcnt of Agriculture. 



The text and statistical data presented in this bulletin were prepared by the staff of the 

 Statisical Reporting Service. Unit:d States Department of Agriculture, under the direction of 

 Frasier T. Galloway. Agricultural Statistician-in-Charge. T. J. Kuzelka is due much credit 

 for the preliminary work on this bulletin prior to his retirement December 30. 1966. He was 

 Agricultural Statistician in Charge of the Montana office from February 1962 to December 

 1966. Staff members who contributed significantly in the preparation of this issue were G. 

 Dean Hasenmyer, Olav Rogness. Sherman B. Winings, Cecil N. UUom and Ellsworth N. 

 Scverson. Agricultural Statisticians: Grace A. Cross, Statistical Assistant: and clerks Ellen M. 

 Carkulis, Edith A. Coc, Donna R. Doggett. Ruth E. Francis. Roy D. Jones. Charics R. Meyer, 

 Ollie K. Mires, Ada L. Richards, Lois C. Rigler, Susan K. Roberts, and Eleanor A. Teigen. 



Offices of the Statistical Reporting Service are located at 208 McGaffick Steamboat Block, 

 616 Helena Avenue, Helena, Montana. Estimates published by this agency are available to 

 anyone without charge by writing to the Agricultural Statistician, Post Office Box 1726, 

 Helena, Montana 59601. 



In This Issue 



This bulletin contains much information other than county and State data on crop and 

 livestock production. It brings together pertinent data such as climate, government payments, 

 farm income, varieties of wheat and barley: and other facts. A brief explanatory discussion 

 of the important items in this issue is as follows: 



The Crop and Livestock History for 1964 and 1965 is given on pages 6 and 7. 

 The text describes the weather and other factors affecting crop production and livestock mar- 

 ketings, and gives comparisons with previous years. 



Cash Receipts, pages 11 to 13, exclude cash values of agricultural products used on 

 farms and ranches. The chart on page 1 3 shows the portion of the total receipts that are repre- 

 sented by the major crops, classes of livestock, and livestock products. 



Climate Data, page 14, for selected stations give the rainfall and temperatures by counties. 

 Climate may vary widely between various locations because of changes in elevations. 



State Crop Tables, pages 16 to 24, give total, irrigated and not irrigated data for 11 



years, 1957-66. Crops grown principally or entirely on irrigated and not irrigated land are 



appropriately designated by sub-titles. Quarterly stocks of grains, 1957-66. are recorded on 

 page 25. 



