No. 386 November 1, 1957
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
A larger corn crop was in prospect on November 1 than a month earlier but picking
has been slowed considerably as a result of unfavorable drying weather during the
last half of October. Production is forecast at 239,415,000 bushels and places this
year's crop 19 percent below last year but equal to the 10 year (1946-55) average. The
bulk of the crop was sufficiently mature to escape damage from the killing frosts
of October 12 but since then the crop has been losing moisture slowly. About 35 percent
of the crop>had beefLJiaryested at the close of the month. This year's average yield of
55.0 bushels per acre is 7.0 bushels under iast year's record average of 62.0 but is 3.4
bushels per acre above the 10 year average of 51.6 bushels.
The 1957 soybean crop, now estimati^d' ait l>5,108,000 bushels, is of record proportions
and is 6 percent above last^year and 52 percent above the 10 year average. Harvest
was 90 pejrcent finjsjied at the elajse of October but scattered late fields were still
remaining for harvest" in the " eaSt central and southwest where additional drying
weather vdas needed. Yields ^Jiisy-yeiar are averaging 23.5 bushels per acre which is .5
bushel under last year's buraper|~,4vef*age but is 1.7 bushels above the 10 year average.
Commer'rM a^te prflduclion is now estimated at 1,610,000 bushels or 2 percent
under the October 1 estimate" and places tnis year's crop 8 percent below last year but
16 percent above the average.
Pasture conditions were rated at 86 percent of normal on November 1 and were
well above the 66 percent condition of a year earlier as well as the 10 year average
for November 1 of 76 percent.
Milk production in October is estimated at 285 million pounds. This is 9 percent
below September production of 313 million pounds but is nearly equal the 286 million
pounds produced in October 1956.
October egg production at 185 million was 7 percent below the 199 million eggs
produced in October 1956. The October rate of lay of 1,519 eggs per 100 layers was
3 percent below last year while the number of layers at 12,207,000 was 4 percent
fewer than a year ago.
UNITED   STATES
Cool wet weather stalled October harvest of late crops in many areas but failed to
cut expected total overall output. The 1957 outcome is still expected to equal any previous
year.
Cotton has suffered important late season damage with the estimated crop of 11.8
million bales down 5 percent from a month ago. Average yields on the reduced 1957
acreage now look not quite equal to the 1955 record after sizeable losses from rain
damage, floods and freezes. Weather damage also contributed to lower estimates for
peanuts, dry beans and some fruits. Increases over last month are estimated for corn,
sorghum grain, soybeans, rice, fall potatoes, tobacco, sugar beets, sweet potatoes and
apples.
Corn and sorghum grain need some stretches of drying weather in many sections
to ready them for safe storage but given that help promise even higher outturn
than formerly expected. The 3.3 billion bushel corn crop is third largest of record with
a new national record yield per acre widely supported in the Western Corn Belt. The
sorghum grain crop of 527 million bushels moved up 2 percent in October to an all
time peak. A much larger part of both corn and sorghum grain was still in the field
on November 1 than last year or usual. Iowa corn was still three-fourths unpicked,
Minnesota and Nebraska about four-fifths, and Missouri and Kansas about half.
Sorghum grain was still about three-fourths unharvested. Counting the large corn crop
and record output of sorghum grain with the average oats crop and large barley crop
already in bins gives a feed grain total of nearly 140 million tons, 4 percent larger
than the old champion 1948 and 8 percent more than produced last year.
Soybeans harvest moved swiftly to near completion in some main producing areas
before being caught by October rains and high humidity. The total of 491 million
bushels now estimated represents a slight increase from gains in several States. Most