i 



Montana Crop and Livestock 

 Reporting Service 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMlNT OF AGRICULTURE 



Sfatisticol Reporting Service 



and 



MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Agricultural Statistics 



Helena^JWpntana 



V ■" <J December 20, 1S68 



.....^^^X^' '^j^-^ 



MONTANA CROP PROD UCTION — 1968 



1968 FA V ORAELK CRO P YEAR Good yields of all ;..ajor crops, except seeds, were har- 

 vested by Moatana producers in 1968. Although acrthwestern 

 and northeastera counties were dry, mother nature provided average or above rainfall 

 to all other parts of the State. Temperatures were about 2 degrees below normal 

 during the gro'.vin" season. Near the ead of the v/inter wheat harvest, cool weather 

 and frequent sho\;ers delayed harvest of remaining crops. Lodging aud shattering 

 occurred, and late harvesting was delayed nearly two weeks. Irrigation v;ater was 

 adequate, and less than average hail losses were reported. Total acreage of all 

 major crops was 8,209^500 or 5 percent less than a year ago. 



EXCEPTIONAL WHEAT CROP Record high all whea t production was 125,869,000 bushels, 6 



percent more than previous record produced in 1967. A to- 

 tal of 4,550,000 acres of wheat were harvested in 1968, down 184,000 from 1967. 

 Winter wheat came through the winter in good condition, but light wind damage in the 

 north central counties required some replanting to spring wheat. 



VflNTER WHEAT Yield, at 31.5 bushels per acre, was the largest ever attained in 



Montana. Production climbed to 86,655,000 bushels, 3 percent above 

 the 1967 output. Spring whr'at (other than durum) production at 31,548,000 bushels 

 v;as 4 percent higher than last year but 12 percent belo.. average. The durum crop at 

 7,685,000 bushels was 68 percent above last year's crop and 79 percent above averagp. 



OUTST ANDING BARLEY YIELD This year's barley yield of 37 bushels per acre was second 



highest, exceeded only by 38.5 bushels in 1965 and 1965. 

 Production was 42,735,000, up 15 percent from a year ago. 



The oa_t crop v/as 7,280,000 bushels, 41 percent larger than the 1967 crop but 18 

 percent below the 1962-66 average. Flaxseed ov.tput vjas 66,000 bushels, up sharply 

 from a year ago but third smallest on record. 



IRRIGATED CROP Y IELDS GOOD Adequate irrigation water and late killing frost made up 



for the slow start of irrigated crops, Sui^arbeet pro- 

 duction was 1,051,000 tons, second highest on record. The yield of 15.0 tons per 

 acre was down from last year but 7 percent above the 5 -year average. 



The dry bean crop, at 162,000 bags (clean basis) was 12 percent above last year 

 but 25 percent below average. The 1,458,000 cwt. of potatoes produced this year is 

 4 percent below last year but 10 percent above average. 



SEED CROP YIELD DWINDLES Alfalfa seed production is 2,015,000 pounds, 34 percent 



balow last year's crop and 56 percent less than average. 

 The smallest red clov'er seed crop on record in Montana, 126,000 pounds, v;as harvest- 

 ed in 1968. This was 10 percent below last year and was a plunge of 57 percent from 

 average. 



AVERAGE _n'\y Gpqp Although below last year's record, this year's 3,585,000 tens of 

 hay vjas 2 percent greater than average. 



SWEET CHERRY CROP AyERAGE' ' The 1958 S'..eet cherry crop of 1^500 tons, down Pharp- 



ly from last year's bumper crop, v/as 6 percent above 



average. 



Frusier T. Gallo\7ay, Agr. ot^t. in Cbg. 



Robert G. Prongua, Agr. Stat. 



After Five Days Return to 

 UNITED : TaTES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Statistical Reporting Service 

 P. 0. Box 1726 - Helena, Montana 59601 



Postage 6t Fees Paid 

 U.S. Department of Agriculture 



OFFICIAL BUSINESS 



