No. 212 May 1, 1943
INDIANA
CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
COOPERATING WITH  
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL STATlSTICS
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA
INDIANA
Winter wheat crop prospects in Indiana on May 1 were for a crop of 15,376,000 bushels,
which is about one-half of an average crop for the years 1932-41, but about 12 percent
more than last year. This production will be made on 992,000 acres remaining for harvest
out of 1,067,000 acres seeded last fall. This will be the smallest acreage harvested in any
year since records were started in 1866 with the single exception of 1928 when we experienced a 60 percent abandonment of the seeded acreage due to winter killing. The yield per
acre this year on the acreage remaining for harvest is expected to be 15.5 bushels, compared with 12.5 last year, and an average yield of 17.4 bushels. The acreage abandonment
this year is 7.0 percent of the acreage seeded last fall, compared with 7.1 percent abandoned last year and an average abandonment of 3.9 percent. Abandonment of acreage is
heaviest in the southeast corner of the state.
Rye production is forecast to be 1,332,000 bushels, or two-thirds of last year's crop,
and 15 percent less than average. This decrease is largely the result of a reduced acreage
for harvest, which is 111,000 compared with 144,000 last year. The yield per acre this
year is expected to be 12.0 bushels, compared with 13.5 last year. The acreage remaining
for harvest is about one-half of last fall's seeded acreage, which is about the usual relationship.
The May 1 condition of hay and pasture reported at 75 and 74 percent of normal,
respectively, is only two points less than average but about six or seven points less than
last year. The stands in some hay and pasture fields are thinner than desirable because
of winter injury and some smothering before last year's small grain crops were removed
from the new seedings. The carry-over of old hay on farms on May 1, at 310,000 tons, is
12 percent more than on the same date last year, and 16 percent less than average. On
the basis of data collected about March 1, the acreage of grass hay to be harvested this
year will be about the same as last year but if a smaller production of such hay results
from the thinner stands, such deficiency in production may be made up by harvesting a
larger acreage of soybean and other annual hay crops. Also the carry-over being larger
than last year will tend to ease the situation next feeding season if this year's yield per
acre is light because of reduced stands, or other causes.
Crop correspondents report that on May 1, they have an average of 113 hens and
pullets of laying age in their flocks, which is nine more than a year ago, 21 more than two
years ago, and more than any year since records were started in 1925. Egg production is
reported to be 61.8 eggs per 100 layers, compared with 64.1 a year ago, but about one egg
more than average for this date. Total egg production in April in all flocks is estimated
to be 252,000,000 eggs, or about 16 percent more than April of last year. Total production
for the first four months of the year at 808,000,000 eggs is about 19 percent more than
production in the same period last year.
Crop reporters on May 1 are milking 72 percent of all the milk cows in their herds, and
iroduction per cow in the herd is reported to be 15.6 pounds. Production per farm is
eported to be about 7 percent less than a year ago, about the same as two years ago, but
tbout 14 percent above average. The very high production reported for a year ago was
he result of a plentiful supply of high quality pasture. This year pastures are somewhat
lower in developing.
UNITED STATES
Crop prospects declined in most parts of the United States during April and were much
bss promising than at that time last year. In portions of several southwestern and west
entral States drought conditions developed to a point where crop losses had begun, but
rowing conditions were quite favorable in the Pacific Northwest, good in the main Corn
!elt and fair to good in other areas east of the Mississippi River. Since May 1, rains
ave relieved the situation in part of the Southwest.