FARMS AND CROPS 



45 



HAY 



Until 1914, hay was Montana's most important crop, both in acreage and in total 

 value. Wheat alone has superseded it. In 1922 the total area in tame and wild hay 

 was 1,735,000 acres. The acreage of tame hay has increased along with the expansion 

 of the irrigated land, but is also due in part to the development of the non-irrigated 

 areas. Wild hay has remained quite constant in total acreage in recent years, fluctua- 

 tions noted from year to year, being due mainly to the variations in rainfall. More is 

 usually cut in seasons of good rainfall. 



Hay is produced chiefly for feed within the state, and only a small portion is 

 shipped out. Approximately half of the tame hay acreage is alfalfa, the remainder 

 being in grain hays, clovers, timothy, millets, and a few others. The bulk of the acreage 

 devoted to tame hays is found in the irrigated sections. 



Wild hay grows in most sections of the state. In some places wild hay is the only 

 crop ©f importance, where it is produced in connection with the livestock industry. 

 Beaverhead county usually produces more than a fourth of all the wild hay raised in 

 the state, and it is fed there to cattle, sheep and horses. The wild hay of Montana is 

 largely native blue-joint, and is noted for its high nutritive value. Stock readily takes 

 on fat when fed this wild hay alone, while it supplies the proper nutrients for growth 

 of young animals. 



TAME HAY BY YEARS 

 1882-1922 



Year 



Acreage 



Yield 



Per Acre 



(Tons) 



Production 

 (Tons) 



Farm Price 



Per Ton 



Dec. 1 



Total Farm 

 Value 

 Dec. 1 



1882 

 1883 

 1884 

 1885 

 1886 

 1887 

 1888 

 1889 

 1890 

 1891 

 1892 

 1893 

 1894 

 1895 

 1896 

 1897 

 1898 

 1899 

 1900 

 1901 

 1902 

 1903 

 1904 

 1905 

 1906 

 1907 

 1908 

 1909 

 1910 

 1911 

 1912 

 1913 

 1914 

 1915 

 1916 

 1917 

 1918 

 1919 

 1920 

 1921 

 1922 



87,000 

 92,220 

 150,000 

 142,500 

 139,650 

 181,545 

 181,545 

 300,033 

 299,802 

 299,802 

 320,788 

 349,659 

 370,039 

 311,337 

 345,584 

 328,305 

 348,003 

 361,923 

 369,161 

 285,096 

 313,606 

 335,558 

 348,980 

 362,939 

 373,827 

 500,000 

 525,000 

 549,000 

 615,000* 

 675,000* 

 715,000.* 

 780,000* 

 830,000* 

 900,000* 

 980,000* 

 1,050,000* 

 1,120,000* 

 1,158,000 

 1,105,000 

 11,045,000 

 1,045,000 



1.07 

 1.20 

 1.00 

 1.10 

 1.09 

 1.30 

 1.20 



.90 

 1.20 

 1.15 

 1.10 

 1.26 

 1.20 



.94 

 1.38 

 1.50 

 1.45 

 1.42 

 1.60 

 1.79 

 1.68 

 2.08 

 1.92 

 1.60 

 1.85 

 1.70 

 2.00 

 2.00 

 1.40 

 2.00 

 1.90 

 1.80 

 2 50 

 2.00 

 1.70 

 1.40 

 1.60 

 1.00 

 1.80 

 1.80 

 1.90 



93,000 



110,664 



150,000 



156,750 



152,048 



286,009 



217,854 



268,689 



359,762 



344,772 



352,867 



440,570 



444.707 



292,657 



476,906 



492,458 



504,604 



513,931 



590,658 



510,322 



526,858 



697,961 



670,042 



580,702 



691,580 



850,000 



1,050,000 



1,100,000 



861,000 



1,350.000 



1,358,000 



1,384.000 



2,075,000 



1.800.000 



1.666,000 



1,470,000 



1,792,000 



1,158,000 



1,989,000 



1,881.000 



1,986,000 



?10.00 



10.50 



13.00 



10.37 



10.50 



13.50 



8.30 



11.50 



10.50 



8.50 



8.95 



7.89 



7.17 



11.40 



6.86 



7.75 



6.80 



7.70 



8.70 



8.18 



7.54 



8.81 



8.70 



7.70 



8.90 



9.50 



8.35 



10.00 



12.50 



10.00 



8.30 



9.60 



8.70 



7.50 



11.00 



18.60 



19.60 



23.00 



12.00 



8.70 



9.00 



? 930,000 



1,161,972 



1,950,000 



1.625,498 



1,596,504 



3,186,122 



1,808,188 



3,089,924 



3,777,501 



2,930,562 



3,158,160 



3,476,097 



3,188,979 



3,336,290 



3,271,575 



3,816,550 



3,431,307 



3,957,269 



5,138,725 



4,174,434 



3,972,509 



6,149,036 



5,829,365 



4,471,405 



6,155,062 



8,075,000 



8,768,000 



11,000,000 



10,762,000 



13,500,000 



11,171.000 



13.286,00« 



18,053,000 



13,500.000 



18,326,000 



27.342,000 



35,123,000 



26,634.000 



23,868,000 



16,365,000 



17,874,000 



* Tentative Revisions. 



