38 MONTANA FARM BEVIEW 



WHEAT 



Wheat is the most important crop raised in Montana, both in point of acreage 

 and total value, a position it has maintained since 1914, when it superseded hay. A 

 general steady increase in the wheat acreage from year to year was noted until 

 1910, after which the acreage doubled in two years. The 1914 acreage of nearly 1,600,000 

 acres was more than doubled in the following four years. In 1919 there were 3,621,000 

 acres of wheat, the high point to date. The series of extremely dry years following 1917 

 caused the abandonment of considerable areas of marginal lands, and a consequent re- 

 duction of the wheat acreage. In 1922 there were 3,099,000 acres in wheat In total 

 production of spring wheat in 1922, Montana ranked second among all the states, and in 

 total wheat (spring and winter) it ranked fifth. 



The quality of the spring wheat grown in Montana is superior to that grown in 

 any other state. The bulk of it is classed as Hard Red Spring, which is recognized as 

 the strongest milling wheat known. As to grades, 84.0 per cent of the crop of 1922 

 was officially estimated to grade No. 1, compared to 52.1 per cent for the total spring 

 wheat in the United States. Taking the three year period from 1920 to 1922 inclusive, 

 74.4 per cent of Montana's spring wheat fell into the No. 1 grade, compared to a cor- 

 responding figure of 59.4 for Wyoming, its nearest competitor in this respect, and to 

 33.4 per cent for the entire United States. Further than this, nearly all of the 1922 

 spring wheat crop of the state sold for a premium over the posted prices for No. 1 Dark 

 Northern, the trade using an unofficial grade known as "fancy" to apply to this wheat. 

 This premium ranged mostly between 6 and 20 cents per bushel, and was based upon 

 the percentage and quality of the gluten contained in the wheat. 



About 75 per cent of the spring wheat grown in the state in 1922 was of the 

 Marquis variety, and 11.9 per cent of it were durum varieties. The acreage seeded to 

 durum wheats has decreased for the two years just passed, due to comparatively lower 

 prices caused mainly by curtailment in export demand. 



Spring wheat is grown extensively in all sections of the state, but the extreme 

 northeast counties are the heaviest producers, areas considered. The durum varieties 

 are chiefly grown in the eastern counties, but their production extends to a small de- 

 gree over all districts, particularly east of the mountains. Most of the spring wheat is 

 grown on non-irrigated lands. 



The peak of the winter wheat acreage in Montana was reached in 1918, when 

 682,000 acres were harvested, since which time it has registered a heavy decline. This 

 has been partially due to heavy losses from winter-killing in some of the more northern 

 counties, which has discouraged its general adoption in affected localities. It is mostly 

 grown in the central, south central and northwestern sections of the state. The most 

 important varieties grown are Turkey Red, Kharkov, Kanred, and Montana 36. The 

 hard red winter wheat produced in the state is of excellent milling quality. 



Little trouble is had in Montana from diseases affecting wheat, as the climatic 

 conditions are very unfavorable for their spread. Some black rust has affected fields 

 along the eastern border, but its damage to the entire crop has been very small. Smut 

 is controlled by treating the seed, but cut worms, army worms, and grasshoppers have 

 been at times serious damaging factors to wheat as well as to other crops. 



Data showing the acreage, yield and production by counties are presented in the 

 tables which follow. 



