No. 309 June  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
The forecast of Indiana wheat production is 27,208,000 bushels. The indicated yield
of 19.0 bushels per acre on the 1,432,000 acres remaining for harvest shows a 6 percent
improvement the past month. Production is 5 percent lower than the 1940-49 average
because of the lower than average yield. Yields considerably below average are indicated
in central and southeastern districts, where winter killing was heaviest.
The condition of oats at 84 is 8 points higher than a year ago in spite of difficulties of
seeding. The first forecast of the season is 55,366,000 bushels, 15 percent above average
and 5 percent above last year.
Rye promises 13.0 bushels per acre but with a smaller acreage for harvest the forecast is 663,000 bushels or only 80 percent of last year. Barley suffered winter damage
and the condition is 8 points lower than last year. The forecast of 608,000 bushels is 90
percent of last year.
Only a small acreage of corn and soybeans remained to be planted after June 1.
Stands are generally not much different from average.
The conditions of hay and pasture are about 5 points higher than last year, and about
the same amount above average.
The forecast of the peach crop is 54,000 bushels, only 11 percent of average and 18
percent of last year. Pears promise only two-thirds of average. Apples are better than
most other fruits.
Milk production in May was 353 million pounds. This is 12 million higher than a year
ago, and practically average. Cow numbers are still low but production per cow was at
a record high. January to May production was 1,420 million pounds this year and 1,393
million last year.
Egg production per 100 layers was 1,947, a record for May. Production of eggs in
May was 233 million, 6 million above last year. January to May production was 1,102
million this year and 1,125 million last year.
UNITED STATES
Improvement in production prospects during May has brought the current situation,
for the country as a whole, virtually up to normal for June 1. Favorable factors have
about offset earlier adverse factors. While acreage losses of winter wheat have been
heavy, mostly in the central and southern Great Plains, May weather helped to improve
yield prospects on the remaining acreage. The abandoned acreage is being replanted to
much needed feed crops, mostly corn and sorghums. While spring work and seeding of
grains had been delayed in large interior portions of the country, farmers during May
were largely able to catch up to schedule. The area where seeding was most delayed
includes much of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and Montana. In most northerly
areas, spring grains were largely seeded by usual dates and in the Corn Belt the planting of corn and soybeans has made rapid progress. Unfavorably dry conditions in the
South were relieved in most parts by rains in early June.
Yield prospects for winter wheat improved during May and production is now estimated at 705 million bushels, about 23 million more than on May 1. Harvest has started