Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-04-20
INCOME OF WHEAT
LAND HIGH HERE
MENT, RECORDS REVEAL; DAIRY
ING TAKES UPWARD TREND

That Montana wheat farmers enjoy
a rate of income from their investment
in INT that is probably higher than
for man other states is shown by data
collected for the skies annual Montana
Farm review to be published soon by
state and federal departments of agri-
culture.
In 1927 good pillow and In Montana
that was planted to spring wheat. the
most important single item of farm in
come in the state, says the review, re-
turned TO the farmer a gross of II per
| cent on the 1925 estimated value of the
land. The value Of the land was given
at s28; the acre value Of spring wheat,
s1988.
TIL figures are estimates derived from
averages of reports of farmers themselves.
The land value, that of good pillow lane
in all instances, Is reported in March OF
each year. Yield an acre data is the
final estimate for each state. The price
used is the price a bushel received by
farmers Dec. l. Land value estimates
are those made March l. 1925.
The i've states with which Montana is
compared IN the study are North Da-
kota. South Dakota, Washington, Iowa
Illinois. In North Dakota, the value OF
good pillow land was S37; the acre value
Of wheat. 1921, and the percentage OF
value returned by the acre crop. 35.7
South Dakota had a a value OF 500, ar
acre value for wheat Of SIS SO, the croI
returning 23.1 per cent of the land in
vestment. Washington, with a value OF
good pillow lane of s1O2 and an acre
value for spring wheat Of s21.80, regis
tiers a return of ola per cent on lanc
investment. Iowa, with land value OF
1892 n acre value of wheat, $17.82, ha!
a return OF IL per cent of the LAND In.
vestment, n Illinois. with land value
of 1888 and an acre value Of wheat o.
S21 .06, has an acre value of 1873 per cen
IN and investment.
That the dairy industry in Montana
has made substantial gains during thu
last four years is indicated by figures
prepared by G. A. Norris, chief of TIL,
dairy division.
The manufacture of butter in Mon
tana has increased from 14,178,o3'
pounds in 1924 to 1884, 1872 pounds IL
was 934, o65 pounds and in 1927 it wa
1927. The manufacture Of cheese in 1872.
/ $685. $50 pounds, while the manufactur,
Of ice cream increased from 564 ,676 gal
Ions in 1924 to TAI ,804 gallons in 1927.
These figures alone would indicate tn
substantial gain in Importance of Thu
dairy industry in the state although thu
does not necessarily mean that there ha
gain in manufactured dairy product
been a corresponding increase in the to
tai production Of milk. The proportion
of milk produced that is sold for manu-
facture may vary from year to year.
Records of the amount of whole mill
sold by farmers for manufacture in TIN
state in 1924 show $50, 157 1900 pound
as against 419, 956, 900 pounds SO sold ant
processed In 1927.
Estimates of the state-federal crop re
porting service as to the numbers o
COWS kept for milk and the number
MIXED each year indicate that the gall
in manufactured dairy products ha
partly come about through an expansion
In the dairy industry itself during tn
last fou IL years. The number of COW
MIXED in 1924 was 167,967 and in 1927
173 1000. With the increase in the mum
Der of cows MIXED, there has been
steady gain in the average production o
milk a COW each year since 1924. Thi
indicates, Mr.. Norris points out, tina
J Montana dairymen are interested in bet
ter dairying as well as more dairying.
Statistics prepared for the farm re
view show that, beginning with 1926
there has been a rather marked declin
in the amount Of milk or It's equiva
lent sent out of Montana to outsid
milk plants. Montana diaries are alb
sorbing the milk supply and shippin
out of the state the finished dairy prod
uct. From a little more than 500, 90
pounds of butter shipped to west coas
markets in 1924, Montana in 1872
, shipped 4.265, 1886 pounds and in 1927 8,
220,40O pounds. The biggest market fo
Montana butter Is San Francisco, t
which Montana in 1926 shipped NOR
butter than was received from Oregon.