No. 287 August 1, 1949
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
August 1 corn crop prospects in Indiana are holding steady with a month earlier.
Production is forecast at 263,112,000 bushels which is 6 percent smaller than last year's
all time record high production, but 34 percent larger than the 1938-47 average. The
yield is expected to be 57.0 bushels per acre or 3.0 bushels less than last year. Stands are
not as uniformly good as last year. Some fields, especially in boctoms and otherwise wet
areas, are quite grassy as a result of too much rain at cultivating time. Some of the early
planted corn is rather heavily infested with corn borer. The entire crop is early enough
that there should be no danger from frost unless frost occurs much earlier than usual.
Indiana's wheat crop turned out as well as expected earlier. The yield at 22.5 bushels
per acre is 1.0 bushel higher than last year and exceeded only a few times in history.
Total production is estimated at 39,488,000 bushels, or 3 percent larger than in 1948 and
45 percent above average.
Oat crop prospects declined 3.0 bushels per acre during July, as a result of extreme
heat just before they ripened. Also disease, probably resulting from the humid conditions,
showed up as whitening of the straw just before the oats ripened. Total production is
forecast at 57,720,000 bushels, which is 3 percent less than 1948 production, but 35 percent
above average.
Soybeans promise the same yield as last year at 21.5 bushels per acre. Total production however at 28,702,000 bushels is 8 pei'cent less than last year because of reduced
acreage. Most soybeans are early enough that they will mature before frost, if it comes
at the usual date.  Most soybean fields are relatively free of weeds.
Hay production is forecast at 2,241,000 tons, the same as a month ago and 2 percent
less than last year and 15 percent below average. The supply should be ample because
of reduced cattle, horse and sheep numbers.
Potato production at 3,570,000 bushels is 14 percent below last year and 25 percent
below average.
Production prospects for apples and peaches declined during July. Apple production
is forecast at 1,540,000 bushels, 51 percent above last year and 15 percent above average.
Peach production at 706,000 bushels is 26 percent above last year and 71 percent above
average.
Milk production per cow on August 1 was 5 percent higher than ever reported before
for this date. This is due to more liberal grain feeding than ever before, pasture condition 12 percentage points above average, and a careful culling program encouraged
by relatively high meat animal prices. Total production during July is estimated at
364 million pounds, or 2 percent above July 1948.
Egg production per 100 layers on August 1 was reported at 46.9 eggs, exceeded only
three times in the last 25 years of records. Total egg production during July is estimated
at 166 million eggs, only 2 million less than in Julv 1948. During the first 7 months of this
year production of 1,466 million eggs is running about one percent above the first 7
months of last year.
United States
A total volume of crops second only to 1948 continues in prospect for 1949. Developments during July resulted in declines for several important crops, including wheat,
oats, barley, rye, and flaxseed, but these were partly offset by improvements in corn,
hay, rice and fruit. Yields of small grains tended to fall below earlier expectations,
partly because hot weather in July forced spring grains to maturity and party because
of wet weather, diseases, pests and harvesting losses. The situation was nearly ideal,
however, for corn and soybeans. An aggregate outturn of all crops, 30 percent above
the 1923-32 average, a loss of only one point in July, is now in prospect, based upon
current forecasts of crops.
Corn prospects improved very slightly during July, so that production is now estimated
at 3,538 million bushels, 3 percent below the 1948 record crop. In the main Corn Belt
weather conditions were mostly ideal for growth, and pollination. The crop is advanced
in practically all areas; in Texas much of the acreage is ready for harvest, and most
fields are tasselled as far north as the Canadian border. Heavy corn borer infestation
appears to be the chief factor tending to limit yields at present, though last of rainfall
has lowered yield prospects in Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota.
Winter wheat was mostly harvested by August 1 and as harvesting progressed yields