No. 416 April 1,1960
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
Winter Wheat production is forecast at 39,063,000 bushels. This is unchanged from the
December 1, 1959 forecast but represents an increase of 20 percent above last year's
production and 8 percent above the 10-year (1949-58) average. Seedings last fall were
estimated at 1,347,000 acres or 1 percent below the acreage seeded for 1959 and 7 percent
below average. The Wheat crop was well protected from the record low March tempera-
tares by snow cover which formed in late February and remained until warmer air
moved into the state near the close of March. Growth is rather short in some late fall
plantings but winter injury and acreage losses have been small to date. General farm
activities and early spring crop development have been retarded as March weather was
unusually severe.
Stocks of Corn on farms April 1 totaled 143,411,000 bushels. These stocks were 6 percent larger than a year earlier and 16 percent larger than the 10-year average. Oat
stocks of 9,652,000 bushels, the smallest for the date since 1944, were 39 percent below
April 1,1959 stocks and 36 percent below average.
Barley stocks on farms totaling 401,000 bushels were the smallest April 1 total since
1955. This year's stocks were 8 percent smaller than a year ago but 59 percent above
average. Rye stocks of 94,000 bushels were 12 percent above last year but 24 percent
below the 10 year average.
Wheat stocks of 653,000 bushels were 68 percent below last year's April 1 stocks and
81 percent below average. Farm stocks of Soybeans totaled 16,230,000 bushels and were
39 percent above April 1, 1959 stocks but were 82 percent above average. Stocks of
Sorghum Grain on farms totaled 153,000 bushels or 52 percent of a year earlier.
March egg production of 212 million eggs was 8 percent smaller than the 230 million
produced in March 1959. The monthly rate of lay at 1,869 eggs per 100 layers was 6 percent below the March 1959 rate of 1,984 eggs while the number of layers at 11,319,000
was 2 percent smaller than a year ago.
Milk production in March is estimated at 284 million pounds. This is 8 percent above
February production and 1 percent above March a year ago. April 1 pasture conditions
were reported at 83 percent as compared with 84 percent a year earlier and the April 1
10-year average of 84 percent.
UNITED STATES
Despite the fact that the 1960 crop season is off to a slow start, winter wheat prospects
have improved since December in the heavy producing Central and Southern Great
Plains. A cold, stormy March retarded fieldwork east of the Rocky Mountains, but open
weather in the Far West permitted seasonal progress. Citrus fruit prospects declined
moderately during March with smaller crops indicated for oranges and grapefruit.
Southern States expect a good peach crop. Spring vegetable production is expected to be
5 percent less than last year. A record tonnage of feed grains remained on farms on
April 1, but farm-stored food grains were about a fourth below a year earlier. Farm
stocks of soybeans were 14 percent above the former record of April 1959.
Winter wheat is starting slowly this spring but, with exceptionally favorable moisture
supplies, only warm weather is needed to spur the pace of development. Much of the crop
was seeded late and made only limited root and top growth last fall. Prolonged cold
weather in March delayed early spring growth, but the accompanying snow not only
protected the crop but enhanced the moisture supply. Winter losses have been relatively
ht, and insects and disease have made no serious threats yet. The April 1 forecast of
1 million bushels is 6 percent above 1959 production and indicates the fifth largest crop
a record. The expected yield per seeded acre is second only to the phenomenal record of
the 1958 crop.
Pood grain stocks on farms were 28 percent less than a year earlier and 6 percent
below average. Wheat stocks were over a fourth less than April 1, 1959, and about half