No. 495 September  1,  1966
INDIANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
STATISTICAL REPORTING SERVICE
COOPERATING WITH
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Department of Agricultural Statistics
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907
This is one of 223 similar statistical reports prepared by the Indiana Crop and
Livestock Reporting Service at Purdue University, and released by the Crop
Reporting Board of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Such basic facts about
agriculture have been made available for 100 years. Yes, this is the Centennial
Year of crop and livestock reporting in the United States as well as the Sesqui-
centennial Year for Indiana as a state.
INDIANA
Cool temperatures during the month of August and rains during the last half of the
month resulted in relatively slow crop growth. Indicated yields on September 1 were
below a month earlier for corn and oats, the same as a month ago for wheat, barley, rye,
soybeans and tobacco and above a month earlier for all of the hays. The condition of corn
varies widely from area to area and field to field. On September 1 only 5 percent of the
crop was considered mature, while the 5 year average is 10 percent. The yield forecast
of 82 bushels per acre is 5 bushels per acre below a month ago and compares with the
record yield of 94 bushels per acre last year. Production at 432,304,000 bushels is 8
percent below last year, but 23 percent above the 5 year average.
The winter wheat crop turned out a yield of 44 bushels per acre, the same as estimated
a month ago. This yield sets a new record and surpasses the previous record of 41 bushels
set in 1963. This year's yield is 10 bushels above last year. Production at 45,760.000
bushels was 16 percent above the 1965 crop, but one percent below average.
Oat harvest was completed during August. The hot dry weather when oats was filling
resulted in light heads. The September 1 yield at 52 bushels is two bushels lower than
last month, the same as the 1965 yield, but 0.8 of a bushel below average. Total production
of 18,720,000 bushels is 7 percent above last year, but 39 percent below average.
Soybean development is behind average with about 15 percent of the crop shedding
leaves compared to 25 percent for usual. Soybean production at 73.2 million bushels is
12 percent below last year but 2 percent above average. The yield at 25 bushels per acre,
compares to 28 bushels last year and an average of 26.8 bushels.
Sorghum grain production is estimated at 715,000 bushels, up 28 percent from last year
and 3 percent above average. The yield of sorghum grain is forecast at 55 bushels per
acre, 15 bushels less than the record yield of 1965 and 3 bushels per acre below average.
Hay production is expected to total 2,417,000 tons, 11 percent below 1965 and 3 percent
below average. Alfalfa accounts for 1,410,000 tons; Clover-timothy, 838,000 tons, lespedeza, 47,000 tons and other hay 122,000 tons. Compared with 1965, production is down 20
percent for alfalfa, 19 percent for lespedeza, and is up 7 percent for clover-timothy hay.
The yield of tobacco at 2,200 pounds is unchanged from a month ago and 15 pounds
below the 1965 yield. Production of 12,980,000 pounds is 13 percent below both last year
and average.
August milk production, estimated at 262 million pounds is off seasonally from July
and down 6 percent from the August 1965 production. Production per cow was at record
levels but the number of cows milked continued to decrease. Egg production at 169 million
et?gs was down 4 percent from August a year ago. The number of layers was also down
4 percent. The rate of lay at 1,792 eggs per hundred layers compares with 1,779 a year
earlier.
UNITED STATES
Crop prospects improved during August as favorable weather boosted expected production of all major crops except oats. Crop progress is near normal in most areas of the
country except in the East Northcentral, where it is slightly later than usual, and in
West Northcentral, where progress of some crops is ahead of average.
The "all crops" production index increased 3 points during August to 112—5 points
(4 percent) below last year's record high but equaling the second highest record index.
The composite index of yield per acre covering 28 leading crops, at 120, is also the second
highest of record and only 3 points below the 1965 record high.