No. 156 September 1, 1938
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
Corn prospects in Indiana improved slightly in August with precipitation near
normal and temperatures somewhat above normal. At the end of the month some localities
were becoming dry, but the area adversely affected wlis only a small part of the state.
The prospective yield is now 40.5 bushels per acre, indicating a production of 163,904,000
bushels. This is 47,866,000 bushels less than last year, but is 20,570,000 bushels more than
the average 1927-1936.
Oats threshed out even more poorly than expected at harvest. The yield now appears
to be 26.0 bushels per acre, slightly below the average of 1927-1936 which includes several
very low yields. The present figure is 3 bushels less than expected last month, and 5
bushels below last year. Production of 36,634,000 bushels is indicated or only 74 percent
of the average 1927-1936.
There was no change in expectations concerning spring wheat or barley the past
month. Spring wheat at 16 bushels per acre, shows production of only 80,000 bushels or 43
percent of average. Barley at 22 bushels per acre has a production figure of 528,000
bushels or 72 percent of average.
Potatoes improved slightly as excess moisture disappeared from low fields. The yield
of 100 bushels per acre now indicated is the same as last year and 14 bushels above
average. Production of 5,100,000 bushels is slightly less than the 1927-1936 average.
Burley tobacco prospects remained unchanged for a yield of 875 pounds per acre.
Production of 10,688,000 pounds all tobacco expected is 91 percent of last year, and 107
percent of average.
Hay prospects improved with continued favorable conditions for soybeans, alfalfa
and lespedeza. The production of all tame hay is now indicated as 3,077,000 tons. This is
33 percent more than last year and 49 percent greater than the 1927-1936 average.
Pasture condition at 88 percent of normal is the highest for September 1st since
1924, and is 26 points above the 10 year average.
Soybeans made the usual improvement of two points in condition through August.
The growth is rank and except for heavy weed stands in perhaps a third of the fields
prospects are very good. If present intentions of utilization are carried out the production
of beans in the state will be 6,282,000 bushels, compared with 5,797,000 last year. For
six leading states the crop this year is forecast at 41,828,000 bushels, against 38,128,000
last year.
The crop of peaches is now reported slightly lower than early season expectations.
Other fruits continue the expectations of the early season, with prospects of around
half an average crop.
Hens and pullets of laying age on reporters farms averaged 80 birds September 1.
Production of 36 eggs per hundred layers was rather high for the season.
Milk production per cow milked September 1, on reporters' farms, was 20.9 pounds,
the highest for the date since records began in 1925. Last year's production per cow
milked was 19.1 pounds. The percentage of cows in herd milked was 76.5 while last year
was 77.7.
UNITED STATES
Crop prospects in the United States declined about 2 percent during August. Hot
weather, lack of rainfall over several extensive areas, heavy infestation of grasshoppers
in the Northern Plains area, and other local factors combined to cause a decrease of
almost 112,000,000 bushels or more than 4 percent in the indicated production of corn, a
decrease of 17,000,000 bushels, or 14 percent, in prospects for grain sorghums, a decrease
of 16,000,000 bushels, or 6 percent, in spring wheat, and smaller decreases of 3 percent
°r less in the production indications for oats, cotton, buckwheat, flaxseed, potatoes, sweet-
Potatoes, tobacco, wild hay, sugar beets, and apples. Small increases of around 1 or 2
Percent are indicated for barley, rice, tame hay, and grapes.
On a composite basis the crop yields secured or in prospect for 1938 are above yields
in all recent seasons except 1937 and 1920, and are about 8 percent above the average
during the 1923-32 period that preceded the more severe of recent droughts.
.   Considering both acreages and yields per acre, practically all of this year's crops
W1H be above the 1927-36 average, the exceptions being a barely average crop of oats, a
moderately light crop of apples, and quite small crops of buckwheat and flaxseed, which
are less extensively grown than formerly.
MINER M. JUSTIN, ROBERT E. STRASZHEIM,
Agricultural Statistician. Assoc. Agricultural Statistician.