No. 235 April 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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The April 1st condition of winter wheat is reported at 98 percent of normal, the highest
far this date since 1919. The abnormal March weather, which was both very warm and
very wet, makes forecasting unusually difficult. The most likely yield at the present time
is 20 bushels per seeded acre indicating- 33,300,000 bushels production.
The condition of rye is reported at 97 percent, 10 points higher than last year, and 14
points higher than the 1934-43 average. Pasture condition is 95 percent or 14 points above
last year, and 18 points above average.
Stocks of corn on farms amount to 70,384,000 bushels which is 12,266,000 bushels less
than last year but 6,332,000 bushels greater than the 1934-43 average. In 1944 disappearance between April 1 and October 1 was 69,547,000 bushels.
Farm stored wheat is 2,649,000 bushels where last year 1,833,000 were held, and the
average is 3,683,000 bushels.
Oats April 1 total 9,420,000 bushels, where last year's holding were 10,628,000 bushels
and the average is 12,269,000 bushels.
Barley on farms is 272,000 bushels and last year was 252,000 bushels. Rye stocks are
108,000 bushels where last year there were 242,000 bushels. Soybeans held were 4,167,000
bushels this year and 4,932,000 bushels last year.
Crop reporters were milking 70.1 percent of the milk cows in their herds. Production
per cow in herds was 15.0 pounds, the highest on record. Production of milk in March
was estimated as 285 million pounds or 21 million pounds more than last year. In spite
of good pasture an average of 6.4 pounds of grains was fed per cow this year and 6.2
pounds last year.
Reporters with less than 370 layers had 111 birds per farm or 10 percent less than last
year. Production of eggs per 100 layers April 1 was 65.9 which is the highest rate for any
month on record. Usually the April rate is lower than in May. March production of eggs
was 242 million this year and 247 million last year. Production January to March inclusive
was 548 million eggs this year and 620 million eggs last year.
Wages paid for hired labor are reported about 10 percent higher than last year's record
rate. Little change in farm labor supply from last year is shown.
UNITED STATES
National crop prospects are now even better than they were a month ago. Hay crops
and pastures have an excellent start. Ranges are a lttle late in the far West but prospects appear favorable in nearly the whole range area. The winter wheat crop is now
estimated at 863,000,000 bushels. This is a hundred million bushels above prospects last
December and would be the largest winter wheat crop ever produced. Other winter grains
are in good shape. The seeding of spring small grains appears fairly well advanced for the
season in the main producing States. Stocks of feed grain and wheat on farms are at
near-record level.
West of the Rock Mountains general rains during March greatly improved moisture
conditions for growing crops and prospects for irrigation, March rainfall was light from
western Nebraska southward and Florida has suffered from drought for some months, but
|he area of the country now seriously short of rain is unusually small. In Arkansas and
Iwge portions of surrounding States farm work has been greatly delayed by persistent
rains. With previous flood records being broken by the Red River and other streams, the
area overflowed will probably pass the million acre mark and a much larger acreage is so