No. 345 June 1, 1954
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 winter wheat in May maintained the prospective high yield of 27.0 bushels
per acre. Conditions are rather uniformly good throughout the state. The acreage is 77
percent of last year and the production forecast of 34,263,000 bushels is 74 percent of
an year, though 111 percent of the 1943-52 average.
The expected yield of 15.5 bushels per acre for rye is the same as last year. Production
)f 1,488,000 bushels is 160 percent of last year, due to a similar increase in acreage. _
The condition of spring planted crops was good. Cora and soybeans were planted a little
earlier than last year, and stands are about average. Hay and pasture conditions are
considerably below the ten year average. There was some damage to legumes by May
frosts, and growth was slowed by lower than average temperatures.
The peach crop estimated at 440,000 bushels is slightly above last year. Pears promis-
Dg 76,000 bushels are about 10 percent above last year.
Milk production in May was 421 million pounds, 5 percent above last year and 13 percent above average. While there has been a slight increase in numbers of milk cows, the
pin in production is mainly due to high production per cow which equaled the record
r.igh for the month.
Egg production per 100 layers in May was 1,928. This is high but not a record. Layers
are 108 percent of last year. May production of eggs was 280 million this year and 255
million a year ago. Production for the January to May period was 1,373 million eggs this
year and 1,296 million last year.
UNITED STATES
A favorable crop situation took shape in May for the country as a whole.
Soil moisture supplies were largely replenished during May and most areas not adequately supplied then received early June rains. The drought was broken in much but
sot all of the Southwest. Irrigation water supplies vary from ample in the North to short
-central areas and critically short in New Mexico.
Favorable conditions enabled growers to complete seeding most of their spring grains
and flax, except in northernmost areas. In the main Corn Belt, planting of corn was
irtually completed by June 1 and planting of soybeans was more advanced than usual.
However, rains at the end of May delayed cultivation and many fields were weedy. In the
south, cool weather and freezes extending deep into the area required much replanting of
cotton and slowed development of corn, peanuts and cotton.
Winter wheat prospects continued to improve, with mostly adequate soil moisture and
W>1 weather at filling time. Production is now estimated at 740 million bushels, 33 million
-ore than on May 1, but 11 percent below average. Harvest started shortly after mid-May
;Hhe Southwest, and in the South was well underway by June 1, with mostly satisfactory
yields and heavy test weights. In Kansas, wheat was particularly advanced and harvest
say be earlier than usual. There and in other Great Plains areas, effects of mosaic disease,
sects and May freezes are apparent, but the acreage left for harvest is expected to
Held well now that adequate soil moisture is available. It is in this Great Plains area
atmuch of the increase in production is expected. In Colorado, "Washington and Oregon,
% weather is limiting prospective yields, but in North Central wheat areas, the cool
father promoted stooling and thickening of stands, so that fields of fully-headed,
excellent wheat are general.
Spring wheat production of 260 million bushels is now estimated, about a tenth less
ain average, largely due to the sharp acreage reduction. This with the winter wheat
Ms to an all wheat outturn of one billion bushels, about 11 percent below average.
All-crop" prospects are reported rather uniformly good over most of the country. In
South, while prospects are reported as only fair, they are better than in most recent
ears. The reported situation there largely reflects the difficulty and delay in getting