MONTANA-GROWN WHEAT. 3 
from the 1910 census reports, illustrating the distribution of the 1909 
wheat crop in Montana. Figure 2 shows the sources of the samples 
secured for this investigation. 
MARKETING CONDITIONS IN MONTANA. 
The marketing and selling of wheat in Montana are surrounded by 
“many seeming and real abuses. Wheat classification and grading are 
most confused on account of their variability. Wheat prices’ are 
based upon Minneapolis quotations, less the freight, the commission, 
and the margin that the local grain buyer considers necessary to 
cover the cost of handling and net himself a profit. 
The fact that at many shipping points the volume of wheat is yet 
very small adds materially to the unit cost of handling, for the quan- 
ROSEBUD 
j FALLON 
YELLOWSTONE . 
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BIG HORN 
a 
4 
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Fig. 1.—Outline map of Montana, showing the districts where wheat is produced. (From the 1910 
census.) Each dot represents 50,000 bushels. 
tity of grain received does not justify the building of elevators and 
warehousing facilities, and consequently the wheat must be handled 
by expensive man-power methods. At other points, where elevators 
have been built, the volume of grain is not sufficient to invite compe- 
tition, or even in some ¢éases to pay the expenses of the operation of the 
warehouse unless the grain is bought on a comparatively high margin. 
The confusion that exists as to the classification of Montana wheat 
is largely dependent upon three factors, which may be summarized 
as follows: 
(1) The fact that wheat of many varieties belonging to five distinct groups is grown 
within the borders of the State. 
(2) The existence of several poorly defined systems of classification and grading. 
(3) Varied environmental conditions within the State influencing the character of 
the grain, of which irrigation is probably the most important. 
