No. 217 October 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
October 1 crop prospects in Indiana are practically unchanged from those of a month
earlier. September was cool but slightly drier than average. The spring crops that were
planted late made such rapid advance in the hot months that they are finishing up well
even with lower temperatures than average. Frost damage was limited to small areas of
low ground in scattered localities. Crop yields are mostly lower than last year but larger
acreages of corn and soybeans almost offset this.
The corn crop of 209,136,000 bushels with 27,048,000 bushels carried over makes a
total of 236,184,000 bushels supply which compares with 216,702,000 bushel crop and
15,374,000 bushels carried over last year for a total of 233,076,000 bushels. Stocks of
oats on October 1 were 26,717,000 bushels instead of the 42,208,000 bushels last year.
Stocks of wheat totaled 6,704,000 bushels this year in spite of heavier inshipments of
feeding wheat, where last year there were 6,378,000 bushels.
The indicated yield of soybeans is 19.0 bushels per acre, and production is forecast as
27,702,000 bushels. This nears last year's production as the larger acreage nearly offsets
the lower yield.
The tame hay crop is now estimated as 2,602,000 tons which is slightly larger than
expected a month ago because of higher yields from the later harvested hay crops.
Pasture condition on October 1 was 81 percent of normal where the 1932-41 average is 68.
Few years have shown a higher condition for this date.
Potatoes still show a prospect for 5,100,000 bushels. Excessively wet weather early in
the season proved too great a handicap to overcome to secure high yields. Sweet potatoes
improved after the drought was broken in the Southwest part of the state and 200,000
bushels are now expected. The tobacco crop estimate stands at 9,775,000 pounds the
same as last month.
The apple crop in commercial counties is still expected to be 1,081,000 bushels. The
October estimate of 157,000 bushels of peaches is 10 percent less than indicated last month.
Pears declined in prospect 20 percent in the past month to 60,000 bushels. Grapes declined 16 percent to 2,000 tons. In percent of the 1932-41 average production apples are
67, peaches 53, pears 21, and grapes 53.
Hay and grass seed estimates so far available indicate larger production than last
year. Timothy seed at 36,000 bushels is the same as last year. Alsike clover seed at 2,600
bushels is 10 percent up from last year. Red clover seed is yielding .80 bushels per acre
where in 1942 the yield was .70 bushels. Production is forecast as 208,000 bushels this
year, compared with 94,000 last year and the 1932-41 average of 182,000 bushels.
Crop reporters with flocks up to 325 layers averaged 105 layers per farm the same
as last year. Last month they had 84 and the 1932-41 average for October 1 is 88 layers.
Eggs produced per 100 hens October 1 were 31.1 this year, 28.6 last year and 27.2 for
the 10 year average. Egg production in September is estimated at 119 million eggs
or 11 million more than September last year.
On reporters farms only 70 percent of the cows in herds were being milked October 1.
This compares with 72 percent last year and the 1932-41 average of 74 percent. Production of milk per cow in herd was 14.4 pounds this year, 14.5 pounds last year and the
average of 14.0 pounds. Production per farm reporting was 102.5 this year and 104.4
last year while the 1932-41 average was 93.8 pounds.
UNITED STATES
Crop yields in the country as a whole are turning out about as expected a month ago.
Although aggregate crop production will be about 7 percent below the phenomenal
output of last year, it is now possible to look with some confidence for an output several
percent higher than in any other previous season. Farmers are harvesting the second-
highest crop yields from the largest acreage harvested in 10 years. Unfavorable weather
could still cause extensive local losses but dry weather during September enabled farmers
in nearly all States to push the gathering of late crops and the size of the harvest can
he seen more clearly than is often the case at this season of the year.