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
The prospects for winter wheat are unchanged from last month. A yield of 16.5 bushels
per acre and production of 26,624,000 bushels is indicated as of June 1st. The southwestern district has relatively better prospects than the rest of the state.
Prospects for rye show no change from last month with an indicated yield of 12.0
bushels per acre and production of 1,884,000 bushels.
The condition of oats reported at 56 is the lowest for June 1st since 1890 with the
exception of 1934 when 39 was reported. The crop is poor in stand and has not grown
thriftily. At the present stage enough improvement to result in a good crop of oats
seems impossible.
The condition of barley at 70 is 4 points below the average of 1928-1937.
Tame hay prospects seem somewhat below average because of the effect of dry weather
in May on clover and timothy. Alfalfa is still 2 points above average at 82. Pasture condition at 76 is 2 points below average.
Fruit crops are fairly promising. Apples promise 70 per cent of a crop where the
average is 56 per cent.
Spring freezes caused considerable loss of peaches but even this crop has a prospect
of 53 per cent where the average 1928-37 was 42 per cent. Due to loss of trees in 1936,
production is estimated at only 322,000 bushels while the 1928-37 average was 465,000
bushels.
Pears have a condition of 63 this year and the 1928-37 average is 52. Owing to an
increase in bearing trees in the latter part of the ten year period, production is indicated
as 452,000 bushels while the average is only 344,000 bushels.
Corn planting was virtually completed June 1 and fields were generally clean. However some corn was wanting rain to germinate and some apprehension was felt concerning stands. Many fields of soybeans were coming up slowly.
^ Reporters show 77.9 per cent of cows in their herds being milked June 1st; last month
(4.5; last year 80.1; average 1927-36, 76.5. Daily production per cow milked was 23.5
pounds; last month 20.9; last year 23.9; average 1927-36, 23.2.
Farm flock owners on June 1st reported 54.4 eggs produced for each hundred hens
anil pullets. Last month the figure was 60.9; last year 55.8; average 1927-36, 51.7. The
number of hens per flock was 92; last month 95; last year 88; average 1927-36, 94. Young
thickens per farm averaged 217; last month 175; a year ago 232.
UNITED STATES
A material and widespread decline in crop prospects occurred during May as a result
abnormally hot and dry weather over a large part of the country. The drought conditions, which affected practically all states at some time during the month and which
l»i awhile appeared very threatening in many of the Central States, were substantially
roved late in May and larger areas were helped by further good rains in early June.
these rains, even though they have not restored normal moisture conditions in much of
the dry area> a;,je(j germination and markedly improved prospects for corn, sorghums
and other late crops. Grass hay crops, pastures, ranges, oats and barley were also
Ped, but they had already been hurt so much that full recovery is not to be expected.
he reports received on the condition of individual field crops on June 1 showed aver-
ges for hay crops, farm pastures, barley and oats, slightly lower than in any past sea-
!« except 1934 and the June condition of Western ranges was reported lower than in
ft seasons, except 1934 and 1937. The forecast for winter wheat is 523,431,000 bushels
20,000,000 bushels below prospects a month ago and 7 per cent below average. Spring
heat shows a low condition and prospects for a rather heavy loss of acreage In the
lour principal producing states prospects for rye are now 40 per cent lower than they
W a month ago and the average yield per acre in the country as a whole is expected