No. 360 September 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
Weather conditions during August, though hot and dry, have not prevented this being
a bumper crop year in Indiana. Corn prospects held steady with a month earlier and
indicate a yield equal to the record, soybean yield prospects declined one-half bushel but
still a record yield. The oats yield is 8 bushels above average, and wheat exceeded only
by last year. The hay yield is also well above the previous high.
Corn production is forecast at 275,595,000 bushels, which is 8 percent more than last
year's crop and 22 percent above the 10 year average. Total production will be a record
high, being 4 percent above the previous record set in 1948. The indicated yield at 57.0
bushels per acre is equal to the all time high established in 1948. The crop is excellent
generally, with exceptions in localized small areas.
Soybeans now promise a yield of 24.5 bushels per acre, which if attained, will be one-half
bushel better than the previous record established last year. Total production is forecast
at 51,793,000 bushels, which is 12 percent above last year the previous high, and 58
percent above average. This increase is partly due to higher yields but largely due to
record high acreage.
Oats production is estimated to be 73,193,000 bushels which is 24 percent above last
year and 54 percent above average. Such a production is considerably above any year
back to 1928 when Indiana had a large crop due to wheat abandonment.
Barley production estimated to be 2,904,000 bushels is 51 percent above last year and
over four times an average crop.
Production of hay is forecast at 2,425,000 tons, which is 4 percent above last year's
crop, but 3 percent below average. The yield per acre of 1.67 tons, if attained, will be a
record high. The previous high was in 1942 when we had a yield of 1.47 tons. The high
yield is due partly to high yields of all kinds of hay, but largely due to a higher than
usual proportion of alfalfa.
Commercial apple production forecast at 1,025,000 bushels is 15 percent less than last
year and 25 percent less than average. Peaches at 131,000 bushels are 24 percent of last
year and 26 percent of average.
Milk production during August at 341 million pounds is 2 million below August 1954
and 7 million below average. The rate of production per cow was at a record high rate
but more than offset by the downward trend in cow numbers.
Egg production during August was 203 million eggs, which is one million more eggs
than in August 1954. The rate of lay and number of layers were both slightly higher than
a year ago.
UNITED STATES
Continued drought and heat sharply reduced yields of corn, soybeans and grain sorghums in the Western Corn Belt and Central Great Plains during August. Hurricane
storms and floods also caused smaller losses to tobacco, vegetables and other crops in
umited eastern areas. Despite these losses, large harvests of most early crops, and gains
n others may still carry total crop output to second highest of record.
Late maturing crops in Western Corn Belt and Central Plains areas were greatest
osers from drought damage. Extremely low August rainfall and high temperatures
followed a hot, dry and disagreeable July. Loss to vegetables, tobacco and other crops
the hurricane-swept eastern coastal sections possibly were outweighed by gains in
late forage crop growth in larger adjoining areas. Open weather over much of the
nation aided small grain harvest completion and helped get set for fall harvest and
seeding operations.
but th  on stuDko:rnly during the late July and August drought and heat
pecti C contmued adversities in Midwestern States by September 1 had reduced pros-
pective outturn by over a tenth. Deterioration in leading States varies from slight to