No. 302    November  1,  1950
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
Since husking has begun Indiana farmers report corn yielding 51.0 bushels per acre,
or two bushels less than earlier expectations. The production of 217,872,000 bushels
is 88 percent of last year's large crop but 105 percent of th$,;l939-48 average. Yields
are very good in the three southern districts and the northeast'district, but elsewhere
are far below last year, and in the east central part of the state are/h^lpw the ten
year average yield. Soybean harvest was virtually finished November 1. No change in the yield of 22.0
bushels per acre is indicated and production is estimated^at 36,960,000 bushels for a
record crop. 
There was no change in the estimate of potatoes at 3,800,000 bushels. Tobaccp also
was not changed from the 13,640,000 pounds previously indicated. ^***^***b^/
Apples in commercial counties are estimated at 1,020,000 bushels, 59 percehlif-of last
year and 77 percent of average. Pears at 134,000 bushels are 74 percent of last year
but slightly better than expected. Grapes at 2,300 tons are 92 percent of last year, and
89 percent of earlier indications.
Pasture condition at 92 is three points above last year and 21 points above average.
Milk production per cow reached a new high for the date, and October production
was 305 million pounds. This is 5 million above September, and 15 million above October
1949.
Laying hens in October were 14,042,000, up 5 percent and the rate of lay was 1,104
eggs per hundred hens, compared with 1,116 a year ago. October egg production at 155
million is 5 million above October 1949. The first ten months production in 1950 of 1,939
million eggs is 45 million above the same months of 1949.
UNITED STATES
Outturns of most late-maturing crops improved in quality and quantity during October.
Conditions were virtually ideal for maturing and harvesting in most of the country,
particularly in the latter part of the month. The warm, sunny and dry weather permitted completion of the small grain harvest in the Northwest, helped to cure the
corn crop, favored development and picking of cotton in the South and fruit in the North,
and enabled growers to harvest soybeans, rice, sorghum grain and root crops rapidly
and with a minimum of loss. In some northern areas killing frosts did not occur until
in the first week of November, prolonging the growing season and the utilization of pastures, gardens and vegetable crops.
Fall-sown grains, new meadows and cover crops made excellent progress in most
areas, with conditions to November 1 mostly satisfactory to ideal for seeding, germination and growth. Surface soil moisture was becoming a limiting factor in further growth,
however, in Missouri and Great Plains wheat areas. Wheat seeding is well advanced
to nearly completed in practically all areas, except those which usually seed in November
or later.
Corn improved in quality during October but production is now estimated at 3,105
million bushels, a decrease of about 13 million bushels from October 1. Moisture content
of the corn was reduced as a result of the ideal conditions for maturing and curing
the late portions of the crop. This same factor accounts for a sharp increase in sorghum
grain to 196 million bushels, placing this crop in the record class, along with soybeans
and sugar beets. Soybean, peanut, dry bean and rice prospects also improved significantly during October, with conditions ideal for maturing and harvesting. Smaller gains
were noted for cotton, potatoes, tobacco, sugar beets, apples, pears, grapes, cranberries,
and pecans, with only buckwheat, sweetpotatoes, broomcorn and sugarcane showing
declines and those were rather small.
These improvements in most late crops were not sufficient to raise the index of 1950
crop production from the 125 percent of the 1923-32 base, indicated on October 1.
Yields per acre are relatively high this season. Wheat and flaxseed yields are indicated only slightly below average, but higher than in 1949. Most others are above
average and last year, cotton yield being the most notable exception. New high marks
are expected for rice, sorghum grain and potatoes, with yields of barley, all hay, soybeans, peanuts, tobacco, sweetpotatoes and sugar beets second-highest of record and
several others in the upper bracket. The composite yield index, based on current estimates for 28 major crops, is 141 percent of the 1923-32 base, nearly up to that of 1949
and otherwise exceeded only by the 151 percent in 1948. Each season about November 1
crop correspondents report on the "all-crops" yield. This year they indicate yields above
average for the country as a whole.