The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-08-19

Montana's wheat crop on August
1 was placed at 38,616,OOO bushels
compared with 4~7,OSO,OOO bushels
/, forecast a month ago, 81, 6SS,OOO
bushels harvested in 1924 and the five
year average Q~92O-1924) harvest Of
49,7O6,OOO bushels, according to a re-
port released Friday by JIG. Dia-
mOnd, statistician for the Montana
crop reporting service. July dry
weather and heat damage as the fill
ting stage Of spring wheat reduced
the prospect Of that crop by about
eight and a half million bushels, win
ter wheat escaping most of this dam
age because Of its earlier maturity.
Oats and flax were also materially
curtailed by the dry hot weather,
other crops suffering to a less extent,
the report states. While the presnt
outlook for the principal crops, ex-
cept corr and rye, ranges below that
Of last year, oats, barley, hay and
beans promise out-turns above the
five year average (~192O-1924), ac-
cOrding to the report which follows:
The month opened with most Of the
dry land farm areas needing rain,
but with a high prospect as a result
of favorable June growth. During
the first week scattered showers
brought some relief, but were follow
ed by a period Of extremely high
temperatures, that became destructive
during the period Of the 10th to 18th,
when day maxima ranged generally
above the hundred mark. This heat
not only permanently damaged grain
in the filling stages but accompanied
by a low humidity rapidly reduced
soil moisture, accentuating the
drought effects even with late crops
and grasses. Further showers from
the 22nd to 25th and cooler weather
came too late to help the bulk of
spring grain and flax, but were bene-
fetal for corn, late potatoes, hay
and pastures.
Damage from dry weather and
heat varied considerably as between
irrigated and dry land crops and ap-
parently was less on better tillage of
grain crops. In general the north
central, northeastern and eastern
counties suffered the greatest deteri-
Grafton, although dry land crops in
central and south central districts al
so show a heavy spotted damage. The
western third Of the state shows the
least general deterioration but is Of
less relative Importance in field crops
production. Winter wheat and rye
generally ripened ahead Of the periOj
Of heavy damage and yields per acre
average better than those Of spring
grain. Winter wheat, however, dus
to the heavy acreage abandonment
last spring will total less than a thirj
of last years crop. Barley among
the spring grains also matured as
rule ahead of the heat wave, although
late varieties were damaged in somu
otCblOAS.
Winter wheat on our preliminaT!
survey has averaged 14.5 bushels pc
acre compared with III in 1924 an.
the 192O-1924 average Of 15.1. Du
10 the heavy abandonment of white
wheat acreage last spring, only 23O,
900 acres remained for harvest com
pared with $4,000 harvested in 1922
the preliminary estimate Of the Gro
being 3,S35,OO 0 bushels this year com
pared with 1O,s93,OOO bushels in 1872
and the five year average (192C
1924 Of 11,547,OOO bushels.
Spring wheat from an August
condition Of 81 per cent Of q norma
now promises an acre yield of abou
lib bushels compared with 1&.