No. 30 May 1, 1951
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 May 1 Indiana had prospects for a winter wheat crop of 25,776,000 bushels. This
is 3,510,000 bushels less than expected a month ago and 13 percent less than the 1940-49
average. The prospective yield per acre of 18 bushels is 10 percent below average and the
acreage for harvest is 3 percent below last year. Winter loss of acreage amounted to 12
percent. Losses were heavier than average in all districts but were especially heavy in
the east central and southeast districts and the southeast half of the central district.
The acreage of rye for harvest is 51,000. This is only 35 percent of the acreage seeded
last fall continuing the trend of the greater use of rye seedings for other purposes than
production of grain. The indicated yield of 13.0 bushels per acre forecasts production
of 663,000 bushels, the smallest crop since 1946.
Stocks of hay on farms May 1 were 393,000 tons. This indicates a disappearance of
2,567,000 tons of hay in the year, or 295,000 tons more than in the previous year. The
increased consumption reflects the character of the winter since it is greater than the
increase in hay eating livestock. The conditions of hay at 86, and pasture at 84, are
slightly above average and about eight points higher than lastv^r.
Indiana produced 243 million eggs in April or 3 pn j:rnt inlll'i .Uffin last year. For the
first four months of the year production _wa^£6^~mij\yyrjf%y\^|h|ch is 3 percent less
than last year. April layers averaged- 12,7T2,000 which is 2 ptewent a\?ove a year ago.
Milk production in April was 277* million pounds, the same as in\March. A year ago
production was 274 million pounds. Rr<>du(*tion"per cow was higher trlan a year ago since
pastures were better. a aqCA
UNITED ST&TEg £ V^1
Crop prospects, which had been ratner discouraging during rnuch oA April, brightened
toward the end of the month and in aarly May. Farm wor-j^ifS^deve|opment of crops,
previously retarded by cool, wet weataer in mu«hfc<tf^h^c*"ttry, m%£e rapid progress
when the weather turned favorable. lit drjTj^tJc&sHJf theGj»et*"PTains, winter wheat
continued to deteriorate until rain ana warm wgaJih«rH5rought a turn for the better.
Winter wheat production is now estimated-*** o82million bushels, 44 million less than on
April 1. Seeding of spring grains was delayed in much of the North Central region,
except in northernmost parts, and some farmers there may have found it impractical
to seed in full their intended acreages of oats and barley. Seeding of the intended spring
wheat acreage, however, is now probable under fairly favorable conditions. Pastures
also had been developing slowly, but responded rapidly to favorable conditions at the
end of April.
Rye production of more than 23 million bushels is indicated by current estimates of a
relatively small acreage for grain, but slightly above average yield prospects. This
would be slightly more than in 1950, but much smaller than in most years before 1943.
A hay crop of about 104 million tons, less than in 1950 but more than average, appears
in prospect. Added to carryover stocks of nearly 16 million tons, this would furnish an
adequate supply for the increased number of roughage-consuming livestock. Condition
of early potatoes is 4 and 5 points better than last year or average, respectively. Excellent yields are being obtained from current digging in Florida and southern Alabama. The
outturn of maple products was relatively small, with the number of trees tapped the
smallest of record.
Wide ranges of temperature marked April weather, from unusually cool in the first
three weeks to unseasonably warm near the end of the month. Rainfall varied widely
also. In Washington, it was the driest April of record and Texas received only about one-
third normal rainfall. In Arizona and southern California, a long droughty period was
broken. Precipitation was heavy in a large northern area from New England and New
Jersey across country to Minnesota and eastern Nebraska, and in most of the South
Atlantic region, extending into Alabama and Mississippi. Rainfall was deficient in the
Great Plains from western Nebraska to Texas and most of the West. Irrigation water
supplies remained excellent in the north, but ranging down to critically short in New
Mexico, Arizona, southern Nevada and pumping areas of California.