6 AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS 



MONTANA CROPS AND UVESTOCK — 1964 



Growth and development of winter wheat seeded for harvest in 1964 was delayed by 

 generally cold weather and the crop did not emerge from dormancy until mid-April. Seed-bed 

 preparation for spring planted crops was underway in nearly all areas by the end of the second 

 week of April. The start of fieldwork was somewhat behind the previous year as a result of 

 blustery weather and wet fields. Planting was nearly complete by June 1, a week to ten days 

 later than in 1963. 



A number of growers experienced difficulty in getting good stands of spring seeded small 

 grains because of heavy crusting of soil, especially in the north central and eastern areas fol- 

 lowing heavy precipitation in early May. Above normal rainfall in May and June finally 

 ended a three-year drought in north central Montana, and yields in that area were the best in 

 several years. Record breaking rains of 14 to 16 inches falling on an unusually heavy late 

 season mountain snowpack on June 7-8 caused severe flooding of the Sun, Teton, Marias, 

 and Flathead Rivers in western Montana. At least two dams burst and left an awesome path of 

 death and destruction. Thirty-four people lost their lives, and damage to property, crops, 

 livestock, roads and railroads was estimated at $62,000,000. 



Rapid vegetative growth and warm, dry weather during early summer soon depleted soil 

 moisture, and by mid-July most of the State was dry. This condition prevailed until alleviated 

 by heavy rains beginning in late August. Cool, rainy weather extending into early September 

 delayed completion of grain harvest. Damage by hail, insects and disease was not as extensive 

 as in earlier years. 



Despite the June floods and dryness in mid-summer, Montana farmers and ranchers pro- 

 duced above average crops of wheat, feed grains, sugarbeets, hay and seeds. Compared with 

 the previous year, the 1964 output was larger for wheat, barley, and cherries, but smaller for 

 all other crops. 



Feeding of range livestock became common with the advent of cold weather and snow 

 during late November. Southeastern Montana was especially hard-hit by heavy, early season 

 snowstorms and sub-zero temperatures. Additional heavy snowstorms during December with 

 temperatures in the minus thirties over most of the State created severe hardships. In many 

 northern and eastern counties the depth of snow and severe cold, windy weather made feeding 

 and caring for livestock extremely difficult. 



Above normal death losses of livestock occurred as a result of exposure and lack of feed. 

 Air lifts of hay to livestock in southeastern counties, and release of feed grains to these and 

 other eastern coanties under the U. S. Department of Agriculture Disaster Area designation, 

 eased the pressure on feed supplies. These emergency measures held deaths down materially. How- 

 ever, most livestock were in weakened condition and considerable shrinkage occurred. 



CROPS: Production of all wheat in 1964 totaled 93,752,000 bushels, the largest crop 

 since 1958. This exceeded 1963 by over a million bushels and established Montana as the 4th 

 ranking State in wheat production in 1964. Winter wheat totaled 5 2.269,000 bushels, 6 

 percent more than a year earlier. The crop was harvested from 1,8 34,000 acres, which was 3 

 percent less than the previous year, but yield per acre at 28.5 bushels was the highest since 

 1911. Durum production at 4,183.000 bushels was 17 percent larger than in 1963 and much 

 above average. A reduction in harvested acreage and a lower yield per acre of other spring wheat 

 resulted in a decline in production of that crop and at 37,300,000 bushels was 6 percent 

 below 1963. 



Montana's barley crop, estimated at 49,692,000 bushels, was 11 percent larger than 

 the previous year and placed Montana third in the production of this grain. Oats output of 

 8,547,000 bushels was 1 percent below the 1963 crop. 



Alfalfa seed production of 5.280,000 pounds, clean basis, was about half the record 

 large 1963 total of 10,800,000 pounds. Red clover seed production was 336.000 pounds. 



Potato production at 1,254,000 cwt. was down 12 percent from 1963. and production 

 of dry beans at 196,000 cwt. was 8 percent lower. The sugarbeet crop at 973.000 tons was 

 17 percent below the previous year's tonnage. Acreage harvested at 69,600 was the largest since 

 1947. The average yield, at 14.0 tons per harvested acre, was 3.8 tons per acre less than in 1963. 



Hay cuttings totaled 3,380,000 tons. 220,000 tons less than in 1963. Of this total. 

 2,096,000 tons were alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures. 501,000 were wild hay, 412.000 tons were 

 clover-timothy and the remainder was other tame hay. 



Sweet cherry output at 2,030 tons compared with only 40 tons a year earlier and 2,280 

 tons in 1962. Production of sour cherries in 1964 at 530 tons was far above the 1963 output 

 of only 30 tons and more than double the 1962 total. The apple crop of 30,000 bushels 

 was 5,000 bushels less than the previous year. 



LIVESTOCK: Montana's cattle and calf inventory increased 5 percent during 1964 to 

 2,758,000 head on January 1 , 1965. This ranked the State 1 2th in numbers of cattle and calves. 



The number of all sheep and lambs on farms and ranches including those on feed on 

 January 1, 1965 at 1,503.000 head, was 3 percent less than a year earlier. Montana ranked 

 5th in the number of sheep and lambs. 



Hogs and pigs on farms and ranches in Montana on January I. 1965 totaled 150.000 

 head, 12 percent less than the 171,000 head in January 1964. 



