12 



MONTANA FARM REVIEW 



Crop Production Statistics 



Total Tonnage Produced 1921 and 1923. 



Total tonnage of 10 principal crops, corn, all wheat, oats, barley, rye, flax, all 

 hay, potatoes, beans and apples, aggregated 5,278,721 tons in 1924 compared with 

 5,092,389 tons in 1923, an increase of about 3.7 per cent. Actual total tonnage of all 

 crops considering the very high ratio of those named above to the total, would be 

 but slightly larger in both years. Prom a crop production standpoint, 1924 returned 

 more gross tons than any preceding year in the state's history, 1923 having held that 

 same record. It follows that both years were very favorable ones, yet both were not 

 without poor spots in some sections of the state. In 1923 the eastern and north- 

 eastern counties suffered reduction in grain yields as a result of dry weather in 

 early June and later rust damage. In 1924 this area has out-yielded any recent year, 

 and although more extensive dry weather damage than in 1923 developed in central 

 sections of the state and in most of the area west of the continental divide, the 

 gain in tonnage in the eastern third of the state more than offset this situation. In 

 the following table, production estimates of all crops have been reduced to tons for 

 better comparison of total crop out-turn of both years. 



CROP: 



1924 Tonnage 



1923 Tonnage 

 (Revised) 



Corn 



All Wheat 



Oats 



Barley 



Rye 



Flax 



All Hay . 

 Potatoes 



Beans 



Apples 



Total 



257,544 



1,550,040 



317,614 



74,4(00! 



49,0001 



57,858i 



2,8'48,000| 



97,6801 



12.2401 



14,350! 



265,720 



1,431,240 



355,344 



64,372 



48,048 



2«,295 



2,756,000 



118,800 



7,920 



24.750 



5,278,721' 



5,092,389 



Acreage Shifts 1924. 



Total acres devoted to eleven crops in 1924 numbered 6,904,000 compared with 

 6,545,000 acres in 1923 and 6,774,000 acres the average total of these crops for the 

 five year period 1920-1924. Total acreage in 1924 of the crops named was 5.4 per 

 cent larger than in 1923 and 1.9 per cent larger than their five-year average. 



Acreages of corn, winter wheat, barley, flax, tame hay, beans and potatoes in- 

 creased in 1924 compared with 1923, while decreases were recorded for spring wheat 

 and rye, with oats and wild hay acreages unchanged. During the five year period, 

 corn, barley, rye, tame hay and beans have increased rather widely from their 1920 

 basis, while both winter and spring wheat show moderately strong reductions. This 

 has been largely the effect of post-war conditions, and Montana farmers who were 

 operating almost exclusively as wheat growers in 1920 have diversified appreciably 

 during the past five years. Among crops not mentioned above are sugar beets and 

 canning and seed peas which in recent years have made substantial acreage gains. 



Reduction in spring wheat acreage in 1924 came largely as a result of dissatis- 

 faction with prevailing prices at seeding time, winter wheat acreage being larger by 

 reason of a smaller winter abandonment. Part of the wheat acreage was devoted to more 

 oats and barley. Rye also was decreased In 1924 as a result of market prices, and 

 flax was greatly increased to provide a cash crop to supplement wheat. Corn 

 acreage following a very successful year in 1923 was also increased strongly, al- 

 though the crop has probably suffered somewhat in popularity by this year's ex- 

 perience with a very poor brand of corn weather. 



