No. 283 April 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
On April 1 the condition of winter wheat indicated a probable production of 38,388,000
cshels from the 1,828,000 acres seeded last fall. There has been little winterkill, though
iome stands were thinned by heaving. Some loss of acreage has occured from stream overhand standing water. However condition is uniformly high over the state and prospects
ire above average at present.
The condition of rye is one point above last year and seven points above average. Pasture
i slightly lower in condition than last year but still five points above average.
Fruits suffered comparatively little winter damage. It is too early to forecast the crops,
it present conditions are promising. They are perhaps better in the southwest than in the
•orthern part of the state.
Farm stocks of wheat are 1,733,000 bushels, 57 percent of last year and 58 percent of
1938-47 average. Stocks of oats are 17,246,000 bushels, 149 percent of last year, and 127
percent of average. Barley stocks of 110,000 bushels are 27,000 bushels below last year.
Bye stocks at 84,000 bushels are 50,000 less than a year ago. Soybeans on farms are
i551,0OO bushels, 147 percent of last year and 125 percent of the 1943-48 average.
There were 148,360,000 bushels of corn on farms April 1. This is 198 percent of last
ear's stocks and 178 percent of average. Disappearance of corn in the first quarter of the
calendar year was 63,190,000 bushels, last year 60,421,000 bushels, and the ten year
average 56,893,000 bushels.
The amount of grain being fed per milk cow daily on reporters farms was 6.1 pounds
compared with 5.9 pounds last year, and 6.3 pounds two years ago. Milk production per
cow in herd reached a new high for the date of 17.0 pounds, where last year it was 15.8
pounds, and the April average 1938-47 was 14.7 pounds. Total milk production in March
ras 281 million pounds this year, 274 million Bounds last year, with the 1938-47 average
267 million pounds. The high production rate has more than offset reduced cow numbers.
The number of layers in chicken flocks in March was 13,401,000 or about one percent
more than last year. Egg production per 100 hens of 1,854 was another record high for
:he month at 22 eggs above last year. Eggs produced in March were 248 million or three
million more than a year aero. For the first three months this year production was 631
million eggs, against 607 million a vear aero.
UNITED STATES
Progress of farm work on April 1 was about normal for the country as a whole. March
weather was favorable in the East and Southeast, and the season is well advanced there.
But excessive moisture kept fields too wet for work in a large interior area from Nebraska
and Missouri south and southeastward to the Gulf. In much of that area delays in spring
irork are causing shifts in cropping plans, as it has become too late for seeding spring
Brains. In other parts of the country progress is slightly delayed but little concern is felt,
for adequate labor and machinerv will permit rapid progress when fields can be entered.
Seeding was under way in East North Central States. Snow had disappeared from all but
the northernmost farming areas, with a minimum of run-off, assuring adequate soil
moisture supplies. Fall-sown grains, meadows and pastures apneared in very good to
advanced condition. Further delays in spring work occurred in earlv April, but two weeks
ofj?ood weather now would do much to overcome the delav.
Production prospects for winter wheat improved as fields emerged from winter dormancy with much less than usual damage. A crop of 1,020 million bushels is now estimated,
^cond largest of record, and 55 million bushels more than on December 1. In the Pacific
-Vorthwest the severe winter caused heavy loss of acreage, much of which is being
replanted to spring wheat. In most other areas, acreaere abandonment will be light,
with Josses Iargelv limited to portions of fields smothered bv ice, standing; water, or soil
blowing. Soil moisture is generally ample for snring development, particularly in the
Great Plains from New Mexico and Texas northward, with the possible exception of
southeastern Colorado. Wheat has furnished pasture in Texas and Oklahoma, also in
Kansas where fields have been dry enough, but livestock were being moved off in early
April.
Farm stocks of feed grains are the larerest of record for April 1 in total tonnaere. and
especially in quantity per animal unit to be fed. This contrasts with the verv low stocks
ayear ago. Most of the difference is due to farm stocks of corn, which at 1,776 million