AVERAGE YIELDS PER ACRE IN 1929 



Average yields per acre for all principal crops except sugar beets in 1929 

 were the poorest in several years. Sugar beets, which are grown wholly under 

 irrigation, escaped the drought and heat damage which greatly reduced the 

 yields of non-irrigated crops. 



Winter wheat and rye by reason of earlier maturity were not damaged as 

 badly as the spring sown grains. Hay encountered favorable weather for produc- 

 ing and curing satisfactory first cuttings before the dry hot weather of July and 

 August. 



Spring grains and flax suffered the brunt of the drought damage which re- 

 duced yields of these crops considerably below average. Aside from drought dam- 

 age to that part of the potato crop planted on non-irrigated lands, a cold, late 

 spring retarded early development of potatoes on irrigated land and heat was 

 generally injurious to the crop at blossoming time. 



Bean yields were reduced by drought damage to non-irrigated beans. The 

 irrigated beans generally made good crops. Corn lacked sufficient moisture to 

 make anything better than a fair yield although maturing generally to a good 

 quality. The seed crops including alfalfa and clover made as good yields in 1929 

 as in 1928, which were about average. Quality of the seed was somewhat better 

 than average. 



AVERAGE ACRE YIELDS 



5-Yr. Av. 



Crop 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1920-24 1929 



Spring Wheat 16.2 10.5 12.2 20.6 19.0 13.3 9.0 



Winter Wheat 17.1 14.5 14.0 22.0 15.0 15.1 14.0 



Corn 18.0 16.5 11.0 23.4 19.0 20.1 12.0 



Oats 29.5 22.5 26.0 40.0 36.5 28.1 17.0 



Barley 25.0 21.5 24.0 33.0 30.5 22.8 16.0 



Rye 14.0 12.5 12.0 18.0 14.0 11.6 11.0 



Flax 8.7 4.5 4.7 10.2 8.5 6.3 3.2 



Potatoes 88.0 108.0 85.0 135.0 115.0 108.8 60.0 



Tame Hay 1.71 1.65 1.59 2.12 1.98 1.76 1.42 



Wild Hay 90 .90 .80 1.15 .90 .89 .76 



Beans 12.0 12.5 10.0 20.0 14.5 12.2 10.5 



Sugar Beets 11.0 11.4 9.0 9.7 



ACRE VALUES OF CROP YIELDS 



The average yields per acre as valued by the prices of farm crops in 1929 

 show in most cases much lower values than for 1928 and the 5-year average 

 (1924-1928). 



Potatoes, sugar beets and winter wheat were three instances where 1929 

 acre values were higher than in 1928. 



ACRE VALUE 



Crop 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 5-Yr. Av. 



Spring Wheat $15.96 $20.09 $14.70 $13.92 $19.98 $15.96 $ 8.64 $16.86 



Winter Wheat 12.00 21.20 19.29 14.98 20.24 12.00 12.88 17.06 



Corn 15.58 17.82 15.68 10.12 16.92 15.58 10.08 16.81 



Oats 14.97 13.82 11.92 13.78 17.60 14.97 8.67 14.43 



Barley 17.08 17.25 15.12 15.36 19.80 17.08 10.88 16.93 



Rye 9.66 12.74 9.25 9.00 13.14 9.66 7.92 10.80 



Flax 16.32 19.22 9.90 8.69 17.85 16.32 8.96 14.40 



Potatoes 63.25 76.56 172.80 102.00 87.75 63.25 102.00 100.10 



Tame Hay 17.62 17.64 16.61 16.50 ' 17.80 17.62 17.61 17.24 



Wild Hay 7.20 8.10 8.10 7.60 8.63 7.20 8.40 8.04 



Beans 65.88 39.60 38.13 28.00 60.00 55.82 37.80 43.79 



Sugar Beets 72.00 70.87 86.13 93.71 67.71 72.75 85.84 



(Average yield per acre times farms price per bushel or ton.) 



PERCENTAGE OF CROPS SOLD 



Varying percentages of crops produced are sold yearly for cash, the amount 

 sold varying with changes in production. As a rule the percentage retained on 

 farms for seed, feed and other consumption is fairly constant. Reporters are 

 asked during the season to estimate the percentage of various crops sold or to 

 be sold for shipment out of the county where grown. With this information as a 

 basis, combined with the experience of past years as to amounts of crop produc- 

 tion moving out of Montana in commercial channels, the following estimates of 

 percentage of crops sold has been determined. 



10 



