No. 361 October 1, 1955
INDIANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE
AGRICULTURAL ESTIMATES DIVISION
COOPERATING WITH
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA
INDIANA
Indiana farmers lowered their appraisal of corn yields by October 1. The expected
field per acre is now 56 bushels per acre down 1 bushel from last month. Production of
270,760,000 bushels is 6 percent above last year and 20 percent above the 10 year average.
Yields exceed average most in the northeast and least in the west central districts. Carryover of old corn on farms is 18,574,000 bushels, 32 percent more than last year, and 8 percent more than average.
The prospective yield for soybeans of 23.0 bushels per acre is 1.5 bushels lower than
September 1. Production of 48,622,000 bushels is the highest of record being 105 percent
of last year and 149 percent of average. Old crop soybeans on farms are 461,000 bushels,
almost 8 times last year and nearly twice average.
Indiana farm stocks of wheat amount to 8,837,000 bushels, 60 percent of last year and
M percent of average. Stocks of oats of 54,895,000 bushels are 126 percent of last year
and 154 percent of average. Stocks of 1,626,000 bushels of barley are 166 percent of last
year and nearly five times average, making record holdings. Rye stocks of 766,000 bushels
are 72 percent of last year but 244 percent of average.
Alfalfa hay production of 1,065,000 tons is a new record for the state. All hay production of 2,386,000 tons is 3 percent more than last year, though 4 percent below average.
Pasture condition at 70 percent of normal is 3 points above last year but 8 points below
average.
The production of apples in commercial counties is estimated as 880,000 bushels. This
is 73 percent of last year and 64 percent of average. The loss in prospects of 145,000
bushels in the month is attributed to drouth which reduced sizes. Peaches also showed
a loss of prospects in the month dropping 30,000 bushels to 101,000.
Milk production in September was 322 million pounds, 2 million below September of last
year, but 5 million above average. The higher production per cow is more than offset by
reduced numbers milked.
September egg production was 209 million or 10 million below the month last year.
Rate of lay and numbers of hens were both below last year. Production of eggs for the
first 9 months of this year is 1 percent above the same period last year.
UNITED STATES
The progress of fall harvest has brought important to moderate increases in production appraisals over September 1 for cotton, hay, sorghum grain, rice, peanuts and
tobacco, and slight increases for corn and dry beans. Decreases since last month, chiefly
slight in amount, are estimated for soybeans, flaxseed, potatoes, sugarbeets, sweet-
potatoes and hops. Prominent among all changes is the increase announced in the October
cotton report which placed the 1955 crop at 13.9 million bales. This tops both last year's
crop and average despite a substantial acreage reduction this year.
The net effect of all changes is to move the all crop production index more than one
point above last month to about 106 percent of the 1947-49 base, challenging the record
set in 1948. The yield per acre index moves up 2 points to a record 116 percent of the
1947-49 base. This compares with the 1948 previous record yield index of 108.
Ihe corn crop estimated at 3.1 billion bushels on October 1 is 4 million bushels above
s month earlier. Drought damage in the Western Corn Belt now7 appears no more severe
than previously reported. Some further decreases in estimates for some Atlantic Coast
areas which were buffeted by three hurricanes in scarcely more than a month were more
than offset by gains elsewhere. In the Corn Belt, early maturity hastened by summer
drought, aided harvest progress, which on October 1 ranged from record early in Iowa
and some surrounding States near average in others.
The soybean crop now estimated at 375 million bushels retains record status by a wide
margin despite moderately decreased yield prospects in a number of States. Rapid har-
vest progress occurred although some rainy intermissions came  late in  the month.
forghum grain outturn from the greatly expanded 1955 acreage further increased its
near-record production by gains in yield prospects on late planted acreages in the South-
ern great Plains after late rains.