No. 311 August 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
Indiana corn held the high prospective yield of 56/0 bushels per acre through Jul
The forecast production of 263,648,000 bushels is neArly a fourth above last yeaf iarfd
average. At the end of the month drouth conditions were Shearing in the southeast
and in various other localities across the southern part of the state. ^' <- ,     , / /
The yield of winter wheat at 16.5 bushels per acre is 2.5 bushels bel'ow: expectations
last month. The decreases occurred in those districts wMejey ripe wheat stood for several
days waiting for weather dry enough for harvest. Wjthese areas many heads fell over,
and weeds and clover grew so tall that cutting bars hacT*"t»..be set high to 'avoid rniem.
Production is estimated as 22,935,000 bushels, 72 percent of last year ahdJ 78 percent
of average.
Oats harvest was nearly completed and because of a delay by excess moisture7 some
loss of grain took place in harvesting. The forecast yield is 39.0 bushels per acre and
production of 55,692,000 bushels. This is 106 percent of last year, and 116 percent of
average.
Soybeans are very promising. The indicated yield of 23.0 bushels has been exceeded
only once. Production is estimated at 36,800,000 bushels the largest crop of record.
The rye crop is 546,000 bushels much below last year and average. Barley with 480,000
bushels is also far below last year and average.
Hay prospects were unchanged in the month, although much rain damage occurred
in harvest. Out of the total of 2,694,000 tons 998,000 tons are alfalfa, and 1,375,000 tons
clover and timothy hay. Pasture condition at 92 is very high though 2 points below
last year.
Some improvement in July is reported in prospects for commercial apples, with production now expected 1,353,000 bushels. This is 133 percent of last year and 105 percent
of average. Peaches at 90,000 bushels are a small crop, and mostly in the northern
part of the state. Pears at 133,000 bushels and grapes at 2,000 tons are unchanged from
last month.
Tobacco prospects declined with drouth in the southeast so the forecast is now
13,870,000 pounds, still 119 percent of average.
Milk cow numbers show further decline. July milk production was 351 million pounds
compared with 346 million last year. The seven months production is 2,130 million pounds
this year and 2,090 million last year.
The average number of layers in July was 10,593,000 showing an unusually large
seasonal decline. Production per 100 hens was 1,631 eggs, an exceptionally high figure.
Egg production in July was 173 million this year, and 173 million last year. The seven
months total is 1,470 million this year and 1,492 million last year. Pullets not yet of laying
age are 104 percent of last year.
UNITED STATES
The second-largest all-crop volume continues in prospect for 1951. Weather factors,
varying by areas within the country, resulted in declines for such important crops as
corn, wheat, barley, flaxseed, potatoes, sweetpotatoes and tobacco. These were partly
offset, however, by improvement in prospects for all hay, oats, rice, sugarbeets, dry
beans and peas. Moreover, crops for which current estimates are the first for this
season—cotton, soybeans, sorghum grain, and peanuts—promise better than average
yields. An aggregate volume of all crops 34 percent above the 1923-32 average is now
in prospect. This would be 1 point lower than indicated on July 1 and 4 points less than
in the record year 1948.
Several million acres of crops were destroyed by floods in a large central area in July.
Although accurate estimates of individual crop acreage losses are not available, allowance has been made in the production estimates, as of August 1, for such losses as
appear to have occurred. The heaviest flood losses and damage occurred in the eastern
two-thirds of Kansas, along the Missouri River and its tributaries in Missouri, and
along river systems in central and southern Illinois. Southeastern Nebraska suffered
minor losses as did small areas of northeastern Oklahoma where flood waters from
Kansas rivers overflowed streams.
Corn prospects were nearly maintained at the July 1 level, with the estimate at 3,207
million bushels. Much of the decline of 88 million bushels is due to flood losses. Growing
conditions were fairly favorable in the Corn Belt, as rapid progress in the latter part
of July did much to overcome lateness in planting and previous development. However,