No. 289 October 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
Early husking returns made no change in the yield of Indiana corn which still remains
at 57.0 bushels per acre. Production of 263,112,000 bushels is forecast. This is six
percent below the record production of last year but 34 percent greater than average
production 1938-47. A little husking has been done in all parts of the state but cribbing
is not likely to become general before October 20th.
No changes were made in preliminary estimates of small grains. Harvest of soybeans
was well along and returns raise the forecast yield one bushel to 22.5 bushels per acre.
The production forecast is 30,038,000 bushels, which is four percent less than last year
in spite of the new record yield per acre.
Late cuttings of hay made better yields than anticipated so there has been an
increase in the hay forecast to 2,402,000 tons, a gain of 61,000 tons. Higher than
expected yields for alfalfa, soybean hay, and lespedeza brought the all hay yield up
to 1.50 tons per acre, where last year it was 1.36 tons. Pasture condition rose to 89
which is 17 points above average.
The red clover seed crop is estimated as 97,000 bushels of clean seed from 160,000
acres this year. Last year 140,000 bushels of clean seed was secured from 291,000 acres.
The alsike seed crop was 4,100 bushels this year and 2,300 bushels last year. Sweet
clover seed production is estimated at 2,800 bushels clean seed this year compared with
1,700 last year.   The increase is due to more acreage cut.
Tobacco is mostly in barns and no change in prospects was reported. Production of
14,400,000 pounds is expected.
Commercial apples were rated better than a month ago and the forecast is now
1,750,000 bushels. Final returns on peaches indicate 794,000 bushels this year, nearly
twice an average crop. Pears forecast at 190,000 bushels and grapes at 2,400 tons are
little changed from last month.
Milk production per cow was at a new high for the date. Total production for September was 316 million pounds, nine million more than a year ago. Grain feeding was
heavy even with exceptionally good pastures.
September egg production was 133 million eggs, two million below a year ago. The
number of layers was up about four percent but eggs produced per 100 layers was 1,122
this year and 1,182 last year. The total egg production for the first nine months was
1,744 million this year and 1,733 million last year.
UNITED STATES
The near-record 3,477 million bushel corn crop, as now estimated, is 49 million bushels
less than forecast on September 1. Corn was safe from frost in practically all except
northernmost sections when freezes occurred, but failed to reach expectations in several
western Corn Belt States. Most northern sections would now welcome killing frosts to
end growth and promote curing, so that corn picking and potato digging may proceed
in full scale. Soybeans matured early and a large proportion were harvested in September. Harvest of buckwheat, sugar beets, peanuts, rice and cotton was well advanced by
October 1. Fall seedings were at an advanced stage and, outside of the West, were
prospering.
Most crop prospects improved slightly or were maintained during September; only
a few were adversely affected. Cotton showed the most important gain, as optimum
conditions in Texas raised production a half-million bales, with changes in other States
mostly offsetting one another. Soybeans also prospered in the main producing area, to
show a 3 percent gain. The favorable conditions for maturing and harvest resulted in
slightly improved estimates for oats, barley, buckwheat, sorghum grain, hay, dry
beans, soybeans, peanuts, potatoes, tobacco, sugarcane, sugar beets and most fruits.
Slightly lower estimates than on September 1 are noted for corn, spring wheat, flaxseed,
sweetpotatoes, hops, peaches and grapes.
Aggregate all crop production is now indicated at 131 percent of the 1923-32 base.
This is one index point more than on September 1 and is exceeded only by the 137
percent in 1948.  This huge outturn is due to fairly large production of most individual