No. 452 April 1,1963
INDIANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
STATISTICAL REPORTING SERVICE
COOPERATING WITH 
PURDUE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA
INDIANA
Indiana's 1963 crop of winter wheat is forecast at 45,322,000 bushels, 16 percent larger
ian the 38,908,000 bushels produced in 1962 and 19 percent greater than average. Wheat
ame out from under the winter's snow cover in mostly good condition. Moderate spring
raperatures have minimized damage from heaving and have brought on normal growth.
Farm stocks of wheat on April 1 totaled 973,000 bushels, 28 percent below farm stocks
lyearago and 23 percent below the April 1 average. Rye stocks of 111,000 bushels are up
£ percent from a year ago and 10 percent above average.
Corn stocks on farms April 1 totaled 169,169,000 bushels, 4 percent below the record
arge stocks of 176,017,000 bushels on hand a year ago but the current farm stocks are
B percent above average. Oats on farms April 1 totaled 11,646,000 bushels, up 25 percent
:'rom the small holdings a year ago, but down 14 percent from average. Farm stocks of
:arley, at 226,000 bushels are 21 percent below a year ago and 46 percent below average.
;orghum grain stocks of 132,000 bushels are down 32 percent from a year ago and 39
percent below average.
Soybeans held in farm storages April 1 totaled 12,369,000 bushels, 22 percent under
fan holdings a year ago, but 2 percent above average.
Production of 202 million eggs during March 1963 is 3 percent under the 208 million
produced during March 162. The monthly rate of lay at 1,941 eggs per 100 layers was
setter than the 1,934 rate of lay a year earlier, but the 10,384,000 layers was down 3
percent from the 10,752,000 layers during March 1962.
Production of 277 million pounds of milk during March 1963 represents a 13 percent
urease from February 1963 and is 1 percent above the 273 million pounds produced dur-
H March 1962. Condition of pastures as of April 1 was reported at 89 percent of normal
md compares with 86 percent on that date a year ago and average of 85 percent.
UNITED STATES
Below normal winter temperatures came to an abrupt end early in March over most
i the Nation east of the Rocky Mountains. Cool weather held on in the West until late
the month slowing early spring development following the mild winter. Rainfall was
Relatively light over most of the country during March, but the Ohio Valley and Appalachian area had excessive rains early in the month. These rains falling on frozen ground
sed rapid run off and severe flooding. Saturated soils in this area dried slowly but elsewhere the above normal temperatures dried surface soils rapidly. Topsoil moisture was
equate to start spring growth except in southwestern Kansas and in the Panhandle area'Oklahoma and Texas. Widespread spring rains will be needed to keep crops growing and
ke up for accumulated winter moisture deficiencies in the Central areas of the Nation.
wch added some to the snow depths in western Mountains but prospects for irrigation in
areas depending on stream flow rather than stored water are generally less favorable than
a year ago.
field work lagged until mid-March but activity picked up as frost went out of the
und and fields dried rapidly. The late March progress coupled with a larger than normal amount of fall plowing put farmers generally ahead of the usual pace on April 1.
feeding of spring grains was well ahead of last year's slow progress in the Central
m and West North Central States. In the Eastern Corn Belt, soggy soils from the
atly March rainfall limited field work and put farmers behind last year's advanced
&ttern.