No. 240 September 1,  1945
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    
On September 1 Indiana had prospects for 238,784,000 bushels of cornTtnVlargest crop
ever raised in the state. The indicated yield per acre of 52 bushels is the second highest
of record but the acreage is larger this year. August weather was favorable for corn
development since moisture was ample when temperatures were highest. In the southern
third of the state about 15 percent of the corn fields will need delay of frost beyond average date for maturity. Elsewhere only one or two percent will be caught immature by
average frost.
The yield of oats is estimated as 43 bushels per acre, with only the 1940 crop at 45
bushels higher in the record. Production of 62,092,000 bushels has been exceeded several
times when large acreages were harvested.
The winter wheat estimate of 23 bushels per acre and 37,560,000 bushels production is
unchanged. Also rye at 14 bushels per acre with 1,330,000 bushels produced. No change
was indicated for barley at 27 bushels per acre with production 1,134,000 bushels.
Soybeans made excellent progress in August and now promise 20 bushels per acr?, equal
to the best of past years. The acreage for beans is estimated as 1,432,000 acres and production as 28,640,000 bushels.
Potatoes improved greatly in August. A larger than usual proportion of the acreage
seems to be on muck land which results in the high condition indicating a much better
than average yield. The expected yield of 135 bushels per acre forecasts production oJ:
4,455,000 bushels. Sweet potatoes also improved the past month with an expected 125
bushels per acre and production of 225,000 bushels.
Tobacco is excellent. Fertilization has been heavy and moisture sufficient. A yield of
1,197 pounds per acre forecasts 14,360,000 pounds production.
The hay crop forecast is unchanged at 2,639,000 tons. Pasture condition at 93 percent
of normal is 23 points higher than average for the date and the highest since 1915.
Prospects for each kind of fruit are reported lower than last month. The change was
slight for peaches and pears which are about like last year. Commercial apples and grapes
we falling below earlier expectations with both definitely poor crops.
Milk production per cow continues at a record level. August milk production of 360
million pounds is 40 million above last year. Production to September 1 of 2,607 million
pounds is 10 percent larger than for this period last year.
Egg production per 100 hens continues at a record high rate. For the second month this
year the number of layers is higher than last year. August egg production of 144 million
eggs is 14 percent above last year. Production since January 1 is 1,533 million eggs or 98
percent of last year.
UNITED STATES
More seasonable temperatures and generally favorable moisture reserves resulted in
a net gain for crop prospects during August. Corn, in particular, was benefited and the
September 1 forecast adds about 225 million bushels to the estimate of a month ago.
Other crops show gains, too. The net effect of these changes raises the aggregate total
production about 3 percent over prospects on August 1. The volume of the 1945 harvest
as indicated on September 1 would equal the total production of the two outstanding
years, 1942 and 1944, and would be 6 percent above 1943,11 percent over production in any
other year, and 24 percent above the 1923-32 "pre-drought" average.
Even though crops that were planted late made fairly rapid progress during August,
we advancement has not offset earlier retarded development. Corn is especially vulnerable, with a large acreage in a close race with killing frosts. If September weather is
favorable and frosts hold off long enough to permit the bulk of the corn and other late
crops to reach maturity, present prospects might even be exceeded. On the other hand,
**rly frosts would cut prospects materially.