10 SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT 



upon the percentage of dark, hard, flinty kernels and the percentage 

 of gluten in the grain so that wheat of exceptional quality can be so 

 recognized and graded on the storage ticket so clearly that the substi- 

 tution of inferior grain which under present federal grades would 

 officially rank the same as the higher quality wheat, would be im- 

 possible. 



For over a year the Montana Department of Agriculture has been 

 pressing this problem with the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, and now has the attention of Secretary Wallace who has ar- 

 ranged to have the situation studied during the present winter. In the 

 event no changes in grade such as requested are made, it will probably 

 become necessary to establish them for the state. To market his wheat 

 intelligently, the grower should be thoroughly acquainted with its 

 grade and quality. This sample inspection of wheat is a service offered 

 by the state which should be more generally taken advantage of than 

 it is. A few grain grading schools are to be conducted this winter by 

 the state grain inspector as an experiment to determine the amount of 

 interest in the subject. 



HORTK TLTUKE, FRIIT AM) VEGETABLE INSPECTION. 



The most important development of work in this line during the 

 past year was its extension to include commercial grading and com- 

 bined state and federal inspection of potatoes. If Montana is to de- 

 velop as a potato growing state it can only be through marketing a 

 fancy article which sells above the normal market average. This state 

 will not be able save in years of exceptional potato shortage, to pay 

 freight on an inferior quality of potatoes and sell them in terminal 

 markets at a profit. The Montana potato grower's problem is four- 

 fold, and the Montana Department of Agriculture has undertaken to 

 work with him in each of the following steps to market: 



1. To produce potatoes of the least possible loss as culls 

 in sorting out a strictly No. 1 sack to ship. 



2. To grade and sort to conform to grade requirements. 



3. To secure state-federal inspection at shipping point so 

 that the distant buyer knows exactly what he is going to get 

 when he places an order or accepts a consignment. Without 

 such inspection the shipper invests his money in a long freight 

 haul with no quality guaranty before shipment to protect him 

 on the car's arrival. 



4. To get in touch with reliable and efficient marketing 

 agencies. 



This has been a most unsatisfactory year for growers of apples 

 and potatoes. The Western Montana apple crop was light because of 

 hail and other conditions. The market was weak, and the car shortage 

 prevented prompt movement of the fruit. Up to November 18, 1922, 

 273 carloads of apples had moved from Montana points compared with 

 621 cars up to the same date in 1921. There was an extension of po- 

 tato acreage this year and a generally good crop, estimated at 6,174,000 

 bushels for 1922 compared with 5,060,000 bushels in 1921. Notwith- 

 standing this increase, the car movement amounted to but 523 cars 

 up to November 18, 1922, compared with 1,024 cars by November 18, 

 1921. Some of the Montana potato crop was not harvested and much 

 is in storage. A large surplus in competing states and the shortage 

 of cars when the crop should have moved, prevented a satisfactory 

 market condition. Then Montana growers have much to learn in the 

 production of potatoes to meet the select market demand. Commercial 

 potato growing is no business for an "in-and-outer"; most of the 

 plungers will probably be eliminated next season, and the steady and 

 experienced potato growers will have every chance of experiencing a 

 good market. 



