No. 530 June 1, 1969
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
Purdue, Indiana's land-grant university celebrates its centennial in 1969. Included
in the knowledge disseminated from the University is a body of basic facts pertaining to -Agriculture. This is one of 223 similar statistical reports prepared by the
Indiana Crop and Livestock Reporting Service at Purdue University in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Such basic facts about agriculture have
been made available for over 100 years. Purdue University has cooperated in the
compilation of these facts for the last 45 years.
INDIANA
While periodic showers slowed spring field work through much of April and May, progress had caught up with normal on June 1. Crops and pastures have fared well under
ample moisture and moderate temperature conditions and are generally looking excellent.
The 1969 wheat crop is forecast at 36,520,000 bushels, 3 percent above the '968 production, but down 20 percent from 1967. Wheat growth and development has kept pace
jyith both last year and average, and yields are expected to be up 5 bushels per acre
torn 1968. If realized, the 40 bushels per acre yield this year will equal the second highest of record in 1963, and will be surpassed only by the 44.0 bushel yield in 1966. The
913,000 acres for harvest is the lowest of record.
Peach production, forecast at 15.0 million pounds, is 9.5 million pounds above last year,
ind more than double the 1967 production of 7.2 million pounds. Excellent growing conditions have persisted through the spring growing season in central and southern Indiana.
Pasture condition was rated at 94 percent, the same as June 1 last year, and up from
:he average of 90 percent. Rye condition was up from 1968 with a rating of 93 percent.
Hay condition at 92 percent was up from the 90 percent last year. Both the alfalfa and
dover and timothy hay crops were showing some improvement from 1968.
Egg production in May totaled 252 million eggs, 5 percent below the May 1968 production. The monthly rate of lay at 1,990 eggs per 100 layers compared with 2,058 eggs in
May 1968. The May number of layers estimated at 12,654,000 birds was down 2 percent
Torn a year earlier.
Milk production during May amounted to 230 million pounds. This is 2 percent less
Jian the May 1968 total of 234 million pounds.
UNITED STATES
May temperatures averaged above normal over a large part of the country. Major
exceptions were most of the South Central and South Atlantic States and a strip across
the north, from Michigan to New England. In the North Central States, well below normal
averages the third week were offset by well above normal temperatures the last week of
[he month. Most of the South Atlantic and South Central States were cool the first half of
the month and warm during the last half. Temperatures were well above normal most of
May in the West. Frosts on several days late in the month caused light damage to early
strawberries in Minnesota, cherries in Wisconsin and Michigan, and Delicious apples in
Michigan.
Despite below normal precipitation in many areas, soil moisture supplies during most
of May were adequate for good crop growth except in the Rocky Mountain States. By the
5rst of June topsoils were drying in scattered areas over the country.
Frequent May showers, following above normal precipitation in April, kept soils wet in
most of the North Central States. However, northern Nebraska, and the western Dakotas
needed rain. In addition, topsoils were becoming dry in parts of Illinois and Wisconsin
However, heavy rains May 18-20 caused local flooding in northern Ohio and southeastern
Illinois. 
Prospective winter wheat production increased 3 percent during May. Output is now
forecast at 1,161 million bushels, 5 percent below last year's record crop and 4 percent
below 1967 production. The expected yield per acre is 31.3 bushels, well above both last
year and 1967.