4 MONTANA FARM REVIEW 



The Montana Sixty years ago Congress appropriated funds for the establishment and 



Co-Operative maintenance of a Federal Crop-reporting Service. This has grown 



Crop and Live "^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^® recognized as the most efficient organization of its 



St k Re rt- ^"^^ ^^ ^^® world. Formerly the work was carried on in each state 



e • independent of state organizations, but now most of the states work 



inff oervice. 



with the Federal Department under co-operative agreements. In Mcm- 



tana the State Department of Agriculture and the Extension Service 

 What It Doe*. ^^ ^^ g^^^^ College co-operate with the Federal Bureau of Agricultural 

 Economics in this work, which is in charge of a statistican employed by the Federal 

 Department. Under such arrangement, this office is known as the Montana Co-opera- 

 tive Crop and Live Stock Reporting Service. Monthly reports on crops and live stock 

 are issued, and from time to time special reports. Through this Service, besides data 

 relating to the state, information concerning agricultural conditions over the entire 

 country is made available to all who desire it. 



While the Federal Census and the county assessors' farm census returns form 

 the bases of estimates of this service, the monthly reports made by a corps of more than 

 3,000 active reporters are the principal sources of information by which seasonal reports 

 are issued. The work of these voluntary reporters is done without pay, and the services 

 that they render merit state-wide recognition and credit, for they are serving in a 

 most worthy manner their state, country, and the farming and related industries. 



More than ninety per cent of the reporters are farmers and stockmen, but bankers, 

 managers of co-operative concerns and elevators, dealers, and others are represented. 

 As a majority of them are veterans at the work, their judgment is highly respected. 



Reports from them are received at the office of the statistican, where they are 

 grouped according to districts and counties, edited, tabulated, averaged, weighted and 

 analyzed. Coming from all sections of the state, reports upon varying conditions in 

 different lo'calities tend to balance one another, but distinctly show the trend of condi- 

 tions. In effect, this system is a pooling of information by reporters, which is sum- 

 marized by this office into reports for the entire state. By this method most of the 

 so-called "guess-work" is eliminated. The consolidated state report goes to make up its 

 part of the report for the whole United States. 



In accordance with established system, all estimates of crop production for 1922 

 are subject to final revision in December, 1923. Livestock numbers are revised foi? 

 previous year annually in January. 



Acknowled e- "^^^ author is indebted to F. W. Beier, Jr., formerly Agricultural 



ments Statistican for Montana, who outlined the scope of this volume, and 



assisted in the preliminary preparation of part of the material. 



Thanks are due Mr. C. C. Davis, Commissioner of Agriculture, for his valued 

 suggestions and guidance in the organization and assemblage of the subject matter. 



Mr. Chas. D. Greenfield, Jr., prepared the historical sketch, a large part of the 

 matter pertaining to lands, the forest and timber data, and assisted with some other 

 chapters. He also had charge of the details of publication. 



Entire credit should be given to William T. Lathrop, of the Weather Bureau, for 

 the well presented section on Montana climate and rainfall. 



The Crop and Live Stock Reporters of the state deserve full recognition for 

 their services, upon which reliable estimates depend. 



Miss Rose A. Lacey, Miss Agatha Schulten, and Anna I. Seller, of this and 

 associated offices, are to be conunended for their assiduous work in the preparation 

 of tabular and other matter contained herein. 



GEO. A. SCOTT, 



Agricultural Statistican for Montana. 



