No. 478 April  1,  1965
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,  INDIAXA
INDIANA
The 1965 crop of winter wheat in Indiana is forecast at 45,684,000 bushels, 11 percent below
the 1964 crop, but 8 percent above average. Cool weather has largely held winter wheat in a
dormant state, but some greening up has been noted since April 1. Rains during the winter
months largely fell on thawed soils which permitted good penetration. Subsoil moisture was
mostly adequate by April 1. Showers since the first continued to build up subsoil moisture.
Topsoil moisture is adequate to mostly surplus.
Wheat stocks on farms on April 1 were 1,287,000 bushels. This is more than double the
record low supplies on farms April 1, 1964, and 14 percent above average.
Corn stocks on farms April 1 totaled 128,346,000 bushels, 29 percent below the record stocks
on hand last year and 17 percent below average. Oats on farms April 1 totaled 5,512,000 bushels,
46 percent below 1964, and 56 percent below average. This is the smallest holdings of record.
Farm stocks of barley, at 137,000 bushels, are down 37 percent from last year and 59 percent
below average. Sorghum grain farm stocks, at 100,000 bushels, are 26 percent below last year
and 54 percent below average.
Soybeans in farm storage April 1 totaled 9,357,000 bushels, down from the record set last
year by 46 percent, and down 27 percent from average.
Egg production during March at 196 million eggs was 2 percent below the number produced
during March last year. The number of layers on Indiana farms was 10,255,000, slightly lower
than the 10,304,000 layers a year ago. The monthly rate of lay at 1,916 eggs per 100 layers
compared with 1,950 in March 1964.
Milk production totaled 280 million pounds in March. This was 2 percent below the March
1964 production but 4 percent above average.  March is up seasonally 17 percent from February.
UNITED STATES
Winter wheat production is now expected to total 1,037 million bushels, 1 percent more than
last year and 7 percent above average. The estimated yield per seeded acre of 23.0 bushels
compares with 23.7 last year and the 1959-63 average of 22.9 bushels.
Winter grains were either snow covered or dormant in the Northern Plains areas during
March. The condition of the crop is questionable until spring growth starts because the crop
entered the winter with limited fall growth. Fall seeded grains had an average winter in
Kansas; central and eastern areas have had adequate moisture, but dry counties near Colorado
need rain. Eastern Colorado and the Panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas received only limited
moisture in March. Wheat has been able to hang on. Winds were generally lighter than usual
and the dry soils blew less than anticipated. Outside of the dry Western areas, Oklahoma and
Texas wheat prospects are promising. Winter barley and oats suffered more losses than wheat
and sizeable acreage losses are expected.
In the Corn Belt, wheat had not started to grow except in southern areas. Improved moisture
conditions offer good prospects with the coming of warm weather. Small grains came through
in good shape in the South Central and South Atlantic areas. Growth has been about normal
but wet soils have hampered topdressing. Grain crops are in need of moisture in the Pacific
Northwest to improve stooling and strengthen the stands. An exceptionally large acreage has
been reworked and reseeded in areas eroded by winter floods.
Winter hung on across the northern half of the Nation during March. Snow cover in the
North Central Region extended as far south as mid-Iowa at the end of the month. Seed
bed preparations got off to a good start last fall, but the usual spring operations are behind
schedule. Seeding of oats was just getting under way in southern Illinois and Indiana. In
Kansas only 15 percent of the intended acreage of spring oats was seeded compared to the
usual 60 percent, causing some concern. However, with modern equipment farmers can catch
up rapidly when the weather breaks.