No. 178 July 1, 1940
INDIANA
CROPS AND LIVESTOCK
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
CO-OPERATING WITH
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS
WEST  LAFAYETTE,  INDIANA
INDIANA
Indiana corn July 1st promised 165,354,000 bushels or 42 bushels plTrS«rre"oh 3,937,000
acres. This is more than an average crop but falls far short of the phenomenal outturn
of last year. Planting was delayed by cold, wet weather so corn is more variable than
usual in size. Stands are good but there was some replanting and less uniformity than
last year. June brought numerous showery days which interfered with cultivation.
Where power machinery is used the weeds have been well controlled but elsewhere there
are more weedy fields than usual. The reduction in acreage is rather uniform over the
state, adverse weather causing a reduction in the southern counties where the adjustment program does not specifically deal with corn. A farm stock of 51,217,000 bushels
of corn is shown compared with the average of 28,378,000 bushels.
The acreage of wheat for harvest is slightly larger than expected in May being now
estimated as 1,540,000 acres. The prospective yield has been reduced by stem rust infection state wide. The intensity of infection is very uneven so yields will be also uneven.
As of July 1st it was impossible to determine the extent of loss in the northern part of
the state where wheat was still green. The 18 bushels per acre now indicated make the
production forecast 27,720,000 bushels.
A carry over of 1,104,000 bushels of old wheat on farms is only a little more than half
the usual amount.
The oats acreage has increased for the first time in several years. The present acreage
is 1,110,000 acres with a prospective yield of 34 bushels per acre making expected production 37,740,000 bushels. Oats are unusually free from weeds and make the best appearance since 1932.
The carry over of oats on farms is 2,522,000 bushels or less than half the usual stocks.
The continued spread of winter barley and greater interest in spring barley resulted
in a sharp increase in the acreage of barley for harvest. The crop is unusually good. The
indicated yield is 24 bushels per acre on 60,000 acres giving a production forecast of
1,440,000 bushels.
The rye crop acreage of 125,000 for harvest is a little above average. The expected
yield of 13 bushels per acre is also above average by 1.3 bushels. Production of 1,625,000
bushels is indicated. The heavy sowings of rye made in drought years did not occur last
fall so the proportion of the seeded acreage going to harvest is greater than in recent
years.
Hay prospects are very good. The acreage estimated as 2,267,000 is at a high level
and the expected yield is among the best in the record. Clover stands are good, and the
acreage of clover and timothy at 1,060,000 acres is nearly average, following the small
acreage of last year. Alfalfa acreage held to the high figure of last year, 494,000 acres,
and it is expected that soybeans will also be cut on a large area. The increasing proportion of higher yielding crops in the hay acreage contributes importantly to the heavy
yield expected. 
The condition of pasture is 94 per cent of normal where last year it was 88 and the
average for 10 previous years is 73. The same factors resulting in good hay prospects
tove made pasture unusually good throughout the state.
The acreage of soybeans for all purposes again reached a new high though at a lower
Point than expected in March. The 1,460,000 acres estimated compares with 1,377,000
last year and are more than twice the' average for the previous ten years.
The tobacco acreage followed the allotments down to 11,400 acres. A yield of 875
Pounds per acre is indicated or nearly 10 per cent better than average. The returns from
^special inquiry show that a larger proportion of tobacco farmers are using fertilizer.
"Jjj fertilizer used per acre is about 10 per cent greater than last year.
The potato acreage is 6 per cent larger than last year. The indicated yield of 95
toshels per acre is the same as last year but is 10 per cent higher than the average of
™e previous 10 years. Production is forecast as 4,845,000 bushels on 51,000 acres.
Sweet potatoes are estimated at the usual acreage of 3,000 promising a yield of 115
toshels.  Production forecast is 345,000 bushels.