No. 440 April 1, 1962
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's Winter Wheat crop is forecast at 36,580,000 bushels, 19 percent less than the
arge 1961 crop of 45,150,000 bushels. The seeded acreage last fall was estimated at
.180,000 acres, 12 percent less than the previous year and 15 percent less than the 10-year
iverage. The Winter Wheat crop started rather slow this spring as March temperatures
iveraged below normal. The last week of the month, however, registered a pleasant change
.weather and spurred crop development. Scattered areas in northern counties suffered
ee and water damage in low lying areas of fields.
Com stocks on farms April 1 totaled 176,017,000 bushels, the largest of record for the
lite. A year ago farm storages held 154,148,000 bushels. Oat stocks of 9,317,000 bushels
-re 41 percent less than April 1, 1961 farm stocks. Farm stocks of barley amounted to
85,000 bushels, down 2 percent from a year ago.
Wheat stocks of 1,354,000 bushels are more than double the 608,000 bushels on hand a
ear ago but are 59 percent below average. Farm stocks of soybeans totaled 16,188,000
joshels, the largest April 1 farm stocks of record. A year ago farm granaries held
-.477,000 bushels. Rye stocks of 83,000 bushels are compared with 106,000 bushels on hand
April 1, 1961 and average of 128,000 bushels. Stocks of sorghum grain on farms totaled
.30,000 bushels, down 14 percent from last year but 14 percent above the 4-year (1957-60)
average farm stocks.
March egg production of 208 million eggs was 8 percent less than the 227 million eggs
produced in March 1961. The monthly rate of lay at 1,934 eggs per 100 layers is 3 percent
Wow the March 1961 rate of 2,003 eggs. The number of layers at 10,752,000 is 5 percent
-mailer than a year ago.
Milk production in March is estimated at 268 million pounds. This is 15 percent above
February production but 1 percent below March a year ago. April 1 pasture condition
as reported at 86 percent of normal compared with 91 percent a year earlier and the
;?ril 1 average of 84 percent.
UNITED STATES
Spring has been slow to arrive over most of the Nation. March temperatures were gen-
"".lly below normal except for a small section from Northern Minnesota across the lakes
I" New England. Late February low temperatures carried over into March and warming
nds did not show up generally until late in the month. Precipitation was frequent either
H rain or snow. Snow cover extended as far south as Southern Nebraska and Iowa until
fft» the 20th of March. Rising temperatures and widespread rainfall brought rapid melt-
g and serious flooding of lowlands in the Missouri and upper Mississippi basins. The
astern part of the Nation and Northern Plains areas received near normal amounts of
moisture during March. Texas and Western Oklahoma had below normal March precipita-
continuing a deficiency that has continued for several months particularly in Central
Southern Texas. The High Plains areas have had fair subsoil reserves, but these are
fflg used up rapidly and most sections of Texas were critically in need of rain at the end
March. The Corn Belt, East South Central and South Atlantic regions received plentiful
founts of moisture during March. This coupled with heavy February rains, kept soils
Unrated in these areas until late in the month.
W temperatures, frequent precipitation, and soggy soils limited field work over most
we Nation until late March. However, the situation is generally not so serious that it
sild not be cured by a few days of good sunshine. Delays in seeding of oats are causing
most concern especially in the important North Central areas. Only 5 percent of the
ms oats acreage was in the ground by April 1 compared with nearly one-half a year
Seeding in Iowa was limited to scattered fields, while in Missouri, planting was
rted mainly in the dryer southwestern area. Farmers were just starting to seed oats
Nebraska in contrast to the usual pattern of about one-fifth of the acreage seeded by
M L Some harvesting progress was made during March but good drying weather is
eritly needed. Spring barley seeding is also lagging, following a pattern similar to oats.