No. 259 April 1, 1947
INDIANA CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
COOPERATING WITH
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA
INDIANA
On April 1 the condition of winter wheat indicated a yield of 20.0 bushels per seeded
acre. Production is forecast as 31,880,000 bushels from the 1,594,000 acres seeded. Loss
of acreage is expected to be less than average, or a sort of nominal amount. Condition
is rather uniform over the state. While lower than last December it appears that much
of the decline reflects delayed growth rather than real loss of prospect.
Rye condition is reported lower than in December but slightly above average. Pasture
condition is about equal to the previous ten year average.
Stocks of corn on farms are 101,049,000 bushels or two percent larger than last year,
and 39 percent greater than the average of 1936-45. Disappearance since January 1 was
65,120,000 bushels, while the average for the period 1936-45 is 51,061,000 bushels.
Farm stocks of wheat are 1,633,000 bushels or 78 percent of last year and only 50 percent of the previous ten year average.
Oats stocks on farms are 17,791,000 bushels which is 98 percent of last year but 144
percent of average.
Barley stocks of 130,000 bushels are 71,000 bushels lower than last year.
Rye stocks of 49,000 bushels are 47,000 bushels below last year.
Soybeans on farms amount to 3,295,000 bushels where last year there were 4,860,000
bushels. Stocks are close enough to seed requirements that some distribution difficulties
may occur.
On April 1 Indiana farmers were feeding nearly average amounts of grain to milk cows,
and more than last year since pastures are less advanced. Milk production per cow is
slightly lower and cow numbers are lower so that March production this year is estimated
as 283 million pounds compared with 286 million pounds last year.
The number of layers in March was 14,072,000 or three percent more than last year.
March egg production of 242 million eggs is eight-million less than last year. The eggs
produced per 100 layers was 1,717 or 112 eggs less than last year. For the period January
to March production was 602 million eggs compared with 584 million last year.
UNITED STATES
Slow progress in farm work and in vegetative growth was made during March in the
eastern two-thirds of the country. Consequently, the season is now considered backward
in varying degree in all but the West. There it varies from normal or early in the Mountain States to well advanced in the Pacific Northwest. Meadows and pastures were slow
to start, the latter furnishing but little new feed yet. The late spring has caused a heavy
drain on feeds. Hay and roughage are nearly exhausted in some localities, but feed grains
are in ample supply. Seeding of spring grains has been delayed by cold weather and wet
fields, so that possibly the full intended acreage of oats may not be reached. Tree fruits
were mostly dormant, except that peaches are blooming weeks late in Georgia and peaches
and apricots are blooming early in the West, particularly the Pacific Northwest.
Snow and rains the last week of March in much of the country capped the delaying
effect of weather throughout the month. Temperatures averaged below normal for March
Practically everywhere except in the Far West. Precipitation averaged below normal
also, except in the Southeast and Gulf coastal areas and in a central area embracing most
P* Kansas, Missouri and some adjacent areas. Though rainfall was short in quantity,
intermittent light rains and ample sub-soil moisture kept fields wet and unworkable.
On April 1 snow still covered much of the Northeast, the Appalachian region of Virginia
and West Virginia, most of Michigan and northern parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota.