as well as the future marketings from the crop of that particular year. Stocks 

 of potatoes on hand January 1, 1930, were probably about three-fifths of the 

 quantity on hand January 1, 1929, and were probably the lowest since January 

 1, 1926. lAs the relatively light holdings on January 1, 1930, will probably find 

 outlets at good prices the on-coming crop will have a very short carryover to 

 contend with. 



APPLES 



Montana's production of apples in 1929 fell about 19 per cent below that of 

 1928 when production exceeded that of any year since 1923, the December esti- 

 mate being placed at 420,000 bushels compared with 516,000 bushels in 1928. The 

 commercial apple crop for 1929 was estimated at 125,000 barrels compared with 

 150,000 barrels in 1928. 



Prices to growers in 1929 were somewhat more favorable than those received 

 in 1928, the average farm price on December 1 being $1.30 per bushel compared 

 with $0.90 a year ago. The total value based on the December 1 average farm value 

 was $546,000, compared with $464,000 in 1928. 



Shipments from the 1929 crop on March 15th, or the close of the shipping 

 season, had reached 391 cars compared with 527 cars last year. (Shipping season 

 August 20 to March 15th.) 



MONTANA APPLE PRODUCTION 1923-1929 



Year Total Production Cars Shipped 



(bushels) By Rail 



1923 990 , 000 451 



1924 290,000 173 



1925 80,000 29 



1926 325 , 000 349 



1927 295 , 000 149 



1928 516,000 527 



1929 420 , 000 391 



APPLE OUTLOOK IN THE UNITED STATES 



Commercial production of apples in the United States will probably con- 

 tinue to increase gradually for several years. However, the apple industry has 

 recovered largely from the disturbed conditions which accompanied the rapid 

 expansion of planting in the northwest and elsewhere 20 to 25 years ago, and 

 the rate of increase in commercial production is expected to be less than during 

 the years when these plantings affected production the most. The extent to which 

 the industry has recovered and the tendency toward more moderate plantings 

 in recent years is encouraging to the efficient commercial grower who produces 

 fruit of high quality. But the large number of relatively young trees now planted 

 indicates an increase in commercial production over a period of years as well 

 as heavy production and low prices when weather and growing conditions are 

 especially favorable throughout the apple areas. Notwithstanding the low pro- 

 duction and the relatively good prices of 1927 and 1929, commercial plantings 

 appear to be justified only where unusually favorable conditions exist for the 

 economical production of good quality fruit. 



Evidence each year becomes more convincing that production in the north- 

 west is near its peak. Yearly production in the boxed apple states during the 

 last four years was 80 per cent higher than the average of 10 to 15 years ago, 

 but only 4.5 per cent higher than the average 4 to 8 years ago. At the beginning 

 of 1928 only 13 per cent of the trees reported in the survey of commercial orchards 

 of the four principal western apple states, viz., Washington, Oregon, Idaho and 

 California, were under 9 years of age. Recent plantings have been light and the 

 removals in the less favorable sections have continued. About 70 per cent of 

 the trees in the commercial orchards of these 4 states are less than 20 years old, 

 but in the west as a whole no material increase in production is in sight. The 

 boxed apple states contribute a large part of the increase in the commercial apple 



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