| HELENA (AP) A lack of rain has helped producers finish the harvest
and most of the fall seeding, but a fourth week of little or no rain is
severely drying out the countryside, the Montana Agricultural Statistics
Service said Tuesday.
Both topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions continued to fall far
behind last year and the five-year average. Eighty-eight percent of
topsoil moisture was rated short to very short, while 93 percent of
subsoil moisture was rated short to very short, the report said.
Many areas didnt receive a killing frost until last week.
The winter wheat crop is 84 percent seeded, well ahead of the 67
percent average for the last five years. Thirty-five percent of the winter
wheat has emerged, compared with 15 percent last year and 80 percent for
the five-year average, the report said.
The dry bean crop is 84 percent harvested, behind 97 percent complete
for this time last year. The harvest of corn for silage is ahead of last
year, at 96 percent complete. Potato harvest made excellent progress
during the week as 56 percent of the crop is out of the ground, ahead of
39 percent harvested at this time last year, and 42 percent for the
five-year average.
Sugar beet farmers are also speeding along, harvesting 48 percent of
the crop compared with 31 percent at this time last year.
The second alfalfa cutting is complete, in line with last year and the
five year average, and the second cutting of the other hay is almost
finished. |