No. 517 June 1, 1968
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
INDIANA
Spring field work progressed rapidly from late April through early May. After the first
week of May almost daily showers stalled progress, and by June 1 planting and tilling
operations had fallen well behind both average progress and the relatively slow progress
of a year earlier. Pastures and hay crops made rapid gains under these conditions, but
spring planted crops were making a poor start because of the cool, wet weather.
The 1968 wheat crop in Indiana is forecast at 41,268,000 bushels, 15 percent below
the 1967 harvest, and 7 percent below average. Early spring growth was rapid, and
development of the crop has kept pace with average. Yields are expected to be a bushel
higher than in 1967, and the lower production is due to reduced acreage.
Peach production, forecast at 5.2 million pounds, is 28 percent below last year and 33
percent below average. Periods of extreme cold last winter coupled with a freeze May 6
largely accounts for the reduced crop. Rainfall has been more than adequate.
Pasture condition was rated at 94 percent of normal compared with 89 percent for both
a year earlier and the 5-year average. Rye condition was the same as a year earlier at
92 percent of normal. Hay condition at 90 percent of normal was above the 5-year average of 88 percent.
Egg production in May totaled 266 million eggs, 20 percent above the May 1967 production. The monthly rate of lay at 2,058 eggs per 100 layers compares with 1,984 eggs
in May 1967. The May number of layers estimated at 12,918,000 birds was up 16 percent from a year earlier.
Milk production during May amounted to 229 million pounds. This is 9 percent above
the April production of 210 million pounds, but 9 percent less than the May 1967 total
of 252 million pounds.
UNITED STATES
Production of winter wheat is estimated at a record-high 1.2 billion bushels. This is
3 percent above prospects of a month earlier, 2 percent more than produced in 1967,
and 27 percent above average.
Winter wheat prospects improved during May as cool weather and timely showers halted deterioration in the previously very dry portions of the Central Great Plains. The
rains came too late for a considerable acreage in far western Kansas, southeastern
Colorado, the western Panhandle of Oklahoma, and extreme northern High Plains of
Texas. However, prospects on the acreage remaining for harvest improved materially.
Elsewhere in the Great Plains, prospects are generally good. Cool wet weather delayed
maturity but provided excellent filling conditions. In the East and South, prospects remained good to excellent despite some lodging and flood damage. Winter wheat in Idaho
was generally in good condition. A lack of moisture continued to plague wheat in Washington and Oregon. Light showers the last half of May provided some relief, but dryland
wheat was under moderate to severe moisture stress on the first of June.
Seeding of spring grains moved ahead rapidly in most areas of the important North
Central States. Progress was well ahead of last year's pace. Planting oats and barley
was virtually complete by the end of May. Growth of early fields was slowed by abnormally cool weather. Flax seeding was ahead of the usual pace in North Dakota and
Minnesota, but slightly behind in South Dakota because of freeze damage which made
some reseeding necessary.
Combining of winter oats and barley was underway in Southern areas at the end of
May, but most grains were maturing slowly because of cool weather. About a fourth of
the Texas oat crop had been combined compared with nearly a half a year earlier. Flax
harvest in Texas was nearing completion—somewhat earlier than last year. Rye condition
nationally on June 1 was the same as a month earlier and 4 points above average. Rice
seeding was nearing completion on June 1.