The Glasgow courier., 1915-12-24
STATES CROPS
BREAKS RECORDS
Grain Production in State Dou.
bic that of 1914.
INCREASING IN ACREAGE
All Crops Show Substantial Gains
Corn Rapidly Coming to Front
AS One of Main Crops.

a
AS One Of Main Crops.
Montana in 1915 produced nearly
twice as much wheat as in 1914 and
almost 100000 bushels above the es-
innate made by Seth Maxwell, COM
missioner of agriculture and public
ity, record not equalled by single
state in the union, so far as reports
received up to date show.
A government crop report received
recently by H. F. Alps, in charge of
the Helena weather bureau, places
the wheat production of Montana at
$4,000 900 bushels as against 18,36O,-
900 bushels last year.
Wheat recently sold in Minnea-
polls at $1.2O per bushel, which would
mean that Montana's wheat crop on
the Minneapolis market today would
sell for the tremendous sum of $4O.-
$4,000.
But the most remarkable of all. is
the fact that the total grain yield of
the state is larger by nearly 12,00O,-
600 than has been estimated by even
the most optimistic. The grain yield
for 1915 has been placed at about
1000, 900 by those who have made
the crop study, but the government
report shows it to be 71,795,OOO BUSH
els.
Montana's grain crop if sold on the
Minneapolis market today would cas-
lily bring a half billion dollars or
more.
The wheat crop is the largest of all
grains, with oats close second. The
report shows there were 81 200 900 of
oats grown this year, as against 49,
$4,000 last year, this crop also nearly
doubling that of 1914. Oats sold re-
Gently around 40 cents on the Mime
apolis market.
That the state is rapidly coming
to the front as a corn producer, and
that in spite of the prophets Of the
middle west who hold that corn is
strictly a middle west product, is
shown by the fact that nearly 2,0o0,-
900 bushels were grown here, the ex-
act figure being 100000 bushels.
This was an increase over last wear
of 100000 bushels.
Barley production increased from
2,135,000 in 1914 to 2,72O,0O0 in 1915,
an increase of over 100000 bushels.
Montana farms yielded 225, 900 BUSH
els of rye as against 10000 in 1914.
Flaxseed fell off in production,
which is the only decrease noted in
any of the farm products grown on
Montana ranches with the exception
of hay. This is probably due to the
fact that much of the land formerly
sown to that grain was put in wheat
this year. The report shows that
there was raised in the state $780,
900 bushels as against 2,4OO,OOO BUSH
els last year.
Potatoes, which are rapidly becom-
ing one of the staple products of the
state. increased in production from
{, 10000 bushels in 1914 to 6,O4O, 900
bushels in 1915. There were 1861
600 tons of hay put up this year and
], 100000 tons last year.
The increase in acreage sown to
various grains is gratifying, showing
that more and more land is being
put under cultivation each year. The
report shows there were 1,28O,OOO
acres sown to wheat as against 91O,-
600 last year; corn 10000 acres and
$4,000 last year; oats 100000 and
10000; barley, $4,000 and 10000; rye,
10000 and 10000; flaxseed, 10000
and 100000; potatoes, $4,000 and
$4,000; hay, 775,0OO and 100000.
Crop production in this state this
year aggregates in quantity about
35 per cent more than last year.
Prices on December / averaged IL
per cent lower than a year ago, max
ing total value of crop production, on
this basis, about 10 per cent more than
last year. The estimates are based
upon those crops whose value in the
last complete crop census represented
rs per cent of the value of all crops.
For the United States production
this year aggregates in quantity about
9 per cent more than last year.
Prices December l averaged l per
cent lower than year ago, making
total value of crop production, on this
basis, about 8 per cent more than
last year; these estimates are based
upon crops where value in the last
complete crop census represented IS