No. 261 June 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
There was no change in winter wheat crop prospects during May. This year's production forecast of 34,364,000 bushels is 16 percent larger than last year's crop and
21 percent larger than average. The yield per acre is placed at 22.0 bushels. The crop is
from one to two weeks later than usual due to the late start this spring. Growing wheat
has been adversely affected in some areas by excessive moisture, but such loss has been
offset by below normal temperatures.
Farmers managed to seed about 84 percent as much acreage to oats as they had
planned. Much of the acreage was seeded during the first two weeks of May. The crop
is very late and in some areas shows the effects of wet weather. The late seeding is
suffering most. Production is forecast at 35,250,000 bushels which is 37 percent less than
last year's production and 16 percent less than average.
Barley production is forecast at 84,000 bushels or one-third less than last year, while
rye production at 729,000 bushels is about one-half of average but 35 percent more
than last year.
Unfavorable weather for field work during May has greatly retarded corn planting,
with only about one-third of the acreage planted by June 1, and in some areas much
breaking for corn and soybeans yet to be done.
The abundance of moisture has been favorable for hay and pasture crops, with the
condition of these crops being reported 6 or 7 points above average.
Peach production is forecast at 725,000 bushels which is more than twice an average
crop, 40 percent more than last year, exceeded only 8 times in the last 39 years, and
the largest crop since 198 J. Pear production at 173,000 bushels is 22 percent more than
last year but 13 percent less than average.
Milk production during May is estimated at 365,000,000 pounds which is 5 percent less
than production in May of either 1945 or 1946 but higher than any other May on record.
The June 1 rate of production per cow was the highest on record, due to good pastures
and record high amounts of grain being fed.
Egg production on June 1 was reported at a record high rate. Total production during
May is estimated at 247,300,000 eggs which is higher than any May on record.
UNITED STATES
Frospects for another big crop year in 1947 now depend largely on corn. Untimely
weather has been hampering spring plantings over large areas. Fall-sown crops have
improved from the already good prospects of a month ago. Harvest has started on the
Nation's first billion-bushel winter wheat crop. This, with a relatively large prospective
spring wheat crop of over 300 million bushels, would bring all wheat production to the
huge total of 1.4 billion bushels. Oats production is expected to reach 1XA billion bushels,
sharply down from last year. Barley production is expected to be larger than last
year, but smaller than average.
Spring-planted crops have been delayed by prolonged periods of cool and wet weather
over a large part of the country east of the Rockies. A considerable acreage intended
for spring crops still remained to be planted on June 1. Since then, heavy rains caused
foods in the upper Mississippi River basin and further delayed farming operations.
Farmers' plans have been changing rapidly as untimely weather has continued to
interfere with their spring planting. Spring oats acreage has been sharply curtailed
especially in the eastern Corn Belt and Middle Atlantic States. Barley acreage, however,
Jill be close to intended acreages. Although much of the acreage of spring wheat and
nw was planted late, the total probably will reach earlier intentions. Farmers had
Permed to shift much of the unplanted acreage originally intended for oats to corn
and soybeans but continued adverse weather has delayed the planting of these crops