No. 60 September  1,  1930
INDIANA
CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DIVISION OF CROP AND LIVESTOCK ESTIMATES
CO-OPERATING   WITH
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
DEPARTMENT  OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS
WEST  LAFAYETTE,  INDIANA
INDIANA
Corn prospects in Indiana were reduced more than 12,000,000 bushels in August by the drouth. Some improvement occurred in the north
central part of the state, but this was more than offset by the losses in
the southern half of the state and in counties bordering Michigan. The
counties along the Wabash River from Lafayette east will probably have
more corn than last year. South of a line across the state at about the
south edge of Marion County corn prospects dwindle rapidly toward the
Ohio River. The river counties will have the poorest yield produced
since comparable records are available, and possibly the lowest in forty
years. Corn withstood the dry hot weather remarkably well, and even
in the poorest sections some fields are promising yields up to the state
average. This produces a great variation within short distances and
makes the problem of forecasting unusually difficult. Detailed study of
the condition reports and extended observations leave the impression,
however, that the condition of 52 makes full allowance for the barren
stalks, short ears, and poorly filled ears which have resulted from the
adverse weather.
Reports on oats have consistently been higher this season as threshing progressed. September 1st returns indicate the yield as averaging
2 bushels per acre better than they were thought to be last month. This
can hardly be attributed to actual improvement in the crop, as it was
mostly cut a month ago. The strawT was not heavy and generally the
crop was rated below the showung made at the thresher. This change
raises the oats estimate for the state nearly 4,000,000 bushels.
Barley also is reported better than a month ago. The acreage of
this crop is small so the higher appraisal adds only 80,000 bushels to the
crop.
Buckwheat is reported having a condition of 52 with a prospective
yield of 10 bushels per acre. The crop is fairly good in the northern
part of the state but very poor in the southern section. This year the
acreage is heaviest in the southern part of the state.
Soybeans declined only three points in August. The crop of beans
cannot yet be estimated as growers have not decided whether to cut for
hay or leave for seed.
Cowpeas which are mainly grown in the drouth area declined only
four points in condition.
No change in the hay crop was registered the past month. Yields
of several classes of hay were reported but all came close to the earlier
indications.
Pastures rated at 29 percent of normal are the poorest ever shown
in the records of the state. They are short everywhere although greening up in the northern sections that have had rains. Showers in some
southern sections seem to have made little difference. Much grass on
south and west slopes appears entirely dead.
The prospects for potatoes and sweet potatoes appear only 80 percent as good as a month ago. The decline in sweet potatoes was a
greater percent than potatoes though the actual bushels decrease is less.
The apple crop appears somewhat better than a month ago. The
set of fruit is light and this makes early estimates especially difficult.
Possibly the small number of apples has resulted in larger size than expected.