No. 247  April 1, 1946
INDIANA
CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
COOPERATING WITH
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION                                                                                                                                                                              DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS                                                                                                                                                                  WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA                                                                                                                                                                                                  INDIANA    
The April 1st condition of winter wheat is reported at 93 percent of normal. This is
very high for the date though 5 points lower than last year. March 1946 was like a year
ago in being very warm, but was unlike the wet month last year in having precipitation
below normal. The deficiency from normal was not great in the northern divisions of the
state but was about 37 percent in the southern division. A yield of 19.0 bushels per acre
on the seeded acreage is estimated as the most likely figure from present conditions.
The condition of rye at 93 is 9 points above the 1935-44 average. Pasture condition at
95 is the same as last year and 17 points above average.
Stocks of corn on farms are 100,043,000 bushels. Last year stocks were 70,384,000
bushels, and the 1935-44 average is 68,468,000 bushels. Disappearance since January 1
was 68,211,000 bushels, and the 1935-44 average for the three months is 50,215,000 bushels.
Farm stocks of wheat at 2,154,000 bushels are 81 percent of last year and 62 percent
of 1935-44 average.
The large oats crop of last year has resulted in April 1 holdings of 19,098,000 bushels,
more than twice the quantity on hand last year and about 155 percent of average.
The 155,000 bushels of barley is 63 percent of last year. Rye stocks of 122,000 bushels
are 113 percent of last year. The 4,747,000 bushels of soybeans is 111 percent of last year.
Crop reporters were milking 70.5 percent of the cows in their herds April 1. This about
the usual rate. Grain fed per cow was 5.9 pounds, compared with 6.4 in 1945 and 6.2 in
1944. Milk production per cow in herds was 15.7 pounds where last year it was 15.0 and
the 1935-44 average is 14.0 pounds. Milk production in March was 276 millions pounds or
2 percent less than last year. The number of cows is five percent less.
Reporters with less than 370 layers had 116 birds per farm or five more than last year.
The eggs produced per 100 hens were 66, slightly more than last year's record. March
egg production of 244 million eggs was slightly above last year, while the January to
March production of 570 million eggs was 22 million greater than last year.
UNITED STATES
Unusually good progress in spring farm activities and in development of vegetative
growth, resulting from an unseasonably warm March, has started off the 1946 crop season
with prospects at an optimistic level. Pastures and hay crops are making excellent starts.
Winter wheat is "greening" up to the northern border and in some areas has had to be
Pastured to prevent too rank growth. Production prospects for this crop have improved
oO million bushels since December 1945. Other fall-sown grains are making a promising
showing. The seeding of small grains has made unusual progress throughout most of
roe country. Stocks of feed grains, while at a relatively low level, seem to be in adequate
supply over most of the surplus producing areas, though in short supply in deficit areas.
rhe rapid progress of tree fruits, however, has aroused considerable apprehension because
eir vulnerability to April and May frosts.
he rainfall and soil moisture situation improved during March in some areas where it
nad been critical. Precipitation was relatively light but soil moisture was ample in the
Northeast and East North Central regions. Rains were heavy in an area from Arkansas
o oouth Carolina and Georgia, slowing down field work which at the time was not particularly pressing. West North Central and upper Great Plains areas received helpful
Moisture, improving prospects for wheat and spring sown grains from Kansas northward,
dry area persists in the Oklahoma Panhandle, western Texas, southern Colorado, New
lexico and Arizona, with crops dependent upon rains as timely as those that helped Cali-