No. 307 April 1,   1961
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 1 condition of wheat indicates a prospective production of 29,286,000 bushels
this year, which is only a little less than the 10 year average. However production will
be about 8 percent less than last year, even though the seeded acreage is 4 percent greater.
The smaller than last year's crop is the result of considerably more abandoned acreage,
and poorer prospects on the remaining acreage. The center of greatest acreage loss is in
the Greensburg, Rushville area. The/early seeded wheat came through the winter reasonably well, but the late seeding suffered from a short growing season before winter set in.
November temperatures averaged/ about 6 degrees below , normal, followed by zero
weather Thanksgiving week end which marked the beginning of almost continuous non-
growing conditions up to April 1. / , ' '  /
Stocks of corn on farms April l/are estMatea j&'88i48J.j000 bushels which is 11 percent
above average but 18 percent les$ than on the sarrre flateflast yea?. The lower stocks are
the result of a smaller corn crop, inore livestock and poultry and more than usual severity
of the winter. Oats stocks on the pthef hand, estimated at 17,350,000 bushels, are 4 percent
greater than a year ago, and 24 ^ere«iiimore''than i&vjerage>-
Wheat stocks on farms at 1,590,000 bushels*^T^--4n^ercent below last year and soybean
stocks at 5,250,000 bushels are 20 percent less than atTrT5r-9*wae/ time last year.
General comments are that the peach crop has been completely winter killed while
apples seem to have wintered satisfactorily.
Milk production during March is estimated at 277,000,000 pounds, which is 1 percent
more than in March of 1950, and also 1 percent more than March average. Grain feeding
to milk cows on April 1 was slightly less than last year but a little more than average.
Pasture on April 1 was contributing very little feed even in southern Indiana.
Egg production during March was estimated at 238,000,000 eggs which is 2 percent
less than in 1950. The rate of lay is substantially the same both years but the number of
layers is about 2 percent less than a year ago.
Farm wage rates are sharply higher than they were a year ago. Wages by the month
with board are estimated at $98.00 compared with $86.00 a year ago. Monthly wages with
a house furnished are $122.00 compared with $106.00 a year ago. Day wages have risen
in about the same proportion. Without board they are estimated at $6.20 compared with
$5.40 a year ago.
UNITED STATES
Slow progress in farm work and vegetative development during March resulted from
the cool, wet weather over most of the main agricultural area. The delay offset earlier
advancement in the Pacific Northwest and resulted in slight backwardness in most of the
rest of the country, except in the Atlantic States. The situation was not regarded as
serious in most sections; in fact, favorable weather in early April may have brought a
large measure of recovery. Spring seeding had not made usual progress by April 1 in
most of the central part of the country, which may mean some shifting of acreage to
later crops in Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and southward. Fall sown grains, meadows
and pastures were slow to start growth, while heavy damage and acreage loss of grains
became apparent, particularly in the dry central and southern Great Plains wheat area.
Aside from that area and westward to southern California, soil moisture is generally
adequate and in some places excessive.