The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-09-21
TREASURE STATE FARM AND LIVESTOCK
HARVEST REPORTS
ARE ENCOURAGING

4
POTATOES, VEGETABLES AND
FRUITS SCORE EXCEL
LENT YIELDS.
Grain Returns Greater Than Midsum.
mer Indications, Though Average
Yield Way Below Results in 1916:
City Gardens Have Played I'M
portant Part.
4 While the production of grain and
hay in Montana this year is way be-
low normal as result of the long
dry summer the state has produced
record crop of small vegetables and
the yield of potatoes and fruit will
be greater than in 1916. Reports
from various parts of the state show
that the threshing machine has dis
closed a larger grain crop than had
been anticipated. The cash returns
for the states 1917 crop, despite the
dry season, will be approximately as
large as in 1916, owing to the in
crease in prices.
Estimates on the crop conditions
in Montana for this year have just
been made by the bureau of crop
statistics. The state will produce a
total Of 100000 bushels of pota-
toes as compared with 4,875,OOO
bushels last year. The price this
year it is estimated will not get be-
low $1.25 and in many sections will
be much higher. Last year the aver
age price was 80 cents per bushel.
The estimate on apple production
for this year is $4,000 barrels, COM
pared with 256,0O0 in 1916. While
estimates are not made on the small
er fruit crops, local reports show that
wild berries were never SO plentiful
and that the small fruits everywhere
gave excellent yields.
Heavy Shortage in Oats and Wheat.
The winter wheat forecast for the
year is 100000 bushels as against
1925, 900 in 1916. The spring
wheat production is forecasted at
12,SO0,O00 bushels as compared with
final returns last year Of 1880, 900.
Last year many of the farmers had
to sell early in the fall and as re-
suit the government estimates the
price returned to the grower in 1916
at $1.26 per bushel. This year with
the price for wheat fixed by the fed
eral government at 1920 at the buy
ing points it is figured that the aver
age Montana price will be around
81, making the actual cash return
for winter wheat this year in spite of
the heavy shortage more than in
1916.
In oats the forecast for 1917 is |
13,700,000 compared with yield of
25, 100000 in 1916. Barley this
year will yield 1,33O,00O bushels
compared with 2,66O,0OO last year.
The forecast on flaxseed is 1,770,-
600. while last year the yield was
3,0SS,000. Hay, including alfalfa,
will make 100000 tons as COM
pared with 1,9S3,000 tons last year.
Real Farming Paid
Reports from the irrigated dis
tricts show that the production there
is greater than in 1916 due to the
fact that at the appeal of the presi-
dent last spring an increased acreage
was planted. Water was plentiful in
nearly every section due to late melt
ing SHOWS in the mountains.
From the non-irrigated sections
the reports vary. In some sections
come reports of complete failures,
only to be followed by reports of fair
yields, considering the season. From
every district comes the report that
where farmers conducted their oper-
atlons in approved scientific manner
they got returns, though they might
not be large, and that the season had
served to show the wisdom of proper
farming
An illustration of this occurred at
Big Sandy. farmer who last year
realized something over $4,000 for
his crop, is now buying farms from
some Of the more unfortunate farm
ers who have failed to get a good
harvest this year and are moving,
while he himself will have over
3 1000 bushels of grain to sell.
Gardeners Were Successful
In the various towns and cities
more vegetables were grown in small
gardens than ever before. Thousands
of city lots were secured in the spring
for garden cultivation and they were
pioi'ou " poIdtoeo, peas, pedHS, corn
cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, rad
lshes, lettuce, onions, ETC., and as
result there is being harvested
large crop of vegetables, it being es-
timated that more cellars are being
stored this year with vegetables for
winter use than ever in the history
If Montana.
Encouraging Reports.
Reports from county agricultural
agents throughout the state to the
state commissioner of agriculture
md publicity show more optimis-
,ic view of the crop conditions than
vas taken In August. Increased
acreage these reports show will swell
he potato crop, though the yield per
lcre will not be so large as last year.