No. 324 September 1, 1952
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 drouth which reduced crop prospects in July was not entirely broken at the end
of August. Enough rain was received so that there was little additional deterioration,
though no perceptible improvement generally.
There was no change in the forecast of corn which still indicates 49.0 bushels per
acre and production of 225,449,000 bushels. Production is 93 percent of last year though
105 percent of average.
The preliminary report of the yield of oats is 36.5 bushels per acre. This is 1.5 bushels
higher than indicated last month and makes production 50,698,000 bushels, the same as
last year and 107 percent of average. Reported yields in the three northern districts are
higher than expected last month.
Soybeans are also unchanged at 21.5 bushels per acre indicated, with production of
31,842,000 bushels. This is 87 percent of last year though 115 percent of average.
Drouth reduced production of alfalfa hay 23,000 tons in August. Production estimated
at 853,000 tons is 90 percent of last year though 105 percent of average. Lespedeza
prospects were lowered in August by lack of moisture to 94,000 tons or 81 percent of
average. Clover and timothy hay making its growth ahead of the drouth remained
unchanged at 1,328,000 tons or 109 percent of average. Pasture condition declined slightly
in August to 70 percent of normal or 8 points below average.
Prospects for apples in commercial counties declined 32,000 bushels to 1,228,000 largely
because of reduced sizes in dry southern counties.
The production of peaches was reported about 7 percent larger than last month with
harvest mostly done. Pears and grapes were unchanged.
Milk production per cow made another new high for the season, but reduction of cow
numbers by close culling, kept production at 359 million pounds. Last year production
was 358 million in August, and the 1941-50 average was 344 million.
Egg production per 100 layers was 1,383 eggs in August. The number of layers was
1 percent greater than last year but egg production was 167 million this year and 166
million last year. The January to August production totals 1,908 million this year and
1,806 million last year.
UNITED STATES
Most late-growing crops improved slightly during August although prospects for
cotton and a few others declined. As a result, the all-crop volume of production advanced
slightly above the August 1 level, and nearly equals the second-largest of record. Harvest
of small grains was practically completed, aided by favorable weather. Fall work was
well advanced and some fall grain had been seeded in the hope of obtaining early fall
grazing, particularly in Kansas and the South. Pasture condition, which usually is
poorer than on August 1, had improved slightly on September 1, but was still below
average.
Corn prospects improved during August, chiefly in the western Corn Belt. Production
w now forecast at over 3,185 million bushels, nearly 50 million more than on August 1.
Some late-planted corn in the Great Lakes area will need most of September to reach
maturity, but on the whole the crop is well advanced and promises to be of good quality.
Spring wheat outturns were about as expected earlier as the crop was mostly harvested
wider favorable to ideal conditions. The all wheat total remains at 1,298 million bushels.
THs total includes nearly 236 million bushels of spring wheat, as now estimated, added
to the earlier estimate of nearly 1,063 million bushels of winter wheat.
With slight to significant improvement in outturns for the majority of the crops more
than offsetting the declines, the index of all-crop volume becomes nearly 129 percent
^ the 1923-32 base, almost as high as in 1949, but well below the record 135 percent in
1948. Only winter wheat and rice contribute record outturns to this total.