No. 153 June 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
The condition of winter wheat declined more than the usual seasonal amount in May.
The production for Indiana indicated June 1st is 33,728,000 bushels or 17 bushels per
acre.
In early May drought was threatening and at the end of the month wet soil was
reducing wheat prospects. Orange leaf rust infection is heavy. Black stem rust,
which caused so much damage last year, is present in small amounts, but is not widespread.
Prospects for rye are about the same on June 1st as a month earlier. The indicated
yield is 12 bushels per acre, with production 1,620,000 bushels.
The condition of oats is 73, or two points above the 10 year average (1927-1936). The
crop is very uneven since moisture conditions at seeding were variable. Damage from
standing water is noticeable.
The condition of barley at 80 is 6 points above the 10 year average (1927-1936).
Tame hay prospects are good. Harvest has begun in southern counties. The proportion of clover is again high and condition is 81 which is 7 points above the 1927-1936
average. Alfalfa is slightly better in prospect than the other hay crops now growing,
showing at 84 a condition 13 points above average. Pasture condition at 89 is 10 points
better than average.
Spring freezes injured fruit crops severely. It now appears that this year all fruits
will be a short crop, though one of the larger short crops. Condition ranges from 34
for peaches to 43 for apples, pears and cherries.
The completion of corn planting has been delayed by wet weather. Much corn is weedy
and of poor color. Stands generally are good. Early sown soy beans are making a good
start.
On farms of reporters 80.1 percent of the cows were being milked June 1st; last month
75.8; a year ago 75.9. Daily production per cow milked was 23.9 pounds; last month 21.9;
a year ago 23.5.
On reporters' farms 55.8 percent of the hens and pullets in laying flocks produced
eggs June 1st. Last month the percentage was 60.5; a year ago 53.9. The average number of hens per flock was 88; last month 92; a year ago 94. Young chicks per farm
averaged 232; last month 167; a year ago 191.
UNITED STATES
Growing conditions in the United States and prospects for early crops appeared better
on June 1 this year than on the same date in any year since 1929. Crop prospects are
rather poor in the Southwest and are reported only about average in the rest of the
South, but in nearly all other parts of the country field crops, pasture and ranges are
reported to have had a good to excellent start.
Harvest has begun on a winter wheat crop that is estimated on the basis of June 1
conditions at 761,000,000 bushels. This would be the second largest winter wheat crop
on record but the yield is still quite uncertain and prospects were declining in some areas
•n early June. Extensive damage, reported due to frost, has been showing up in some
sections of Kansas as the crop matured and there are many reports of leaf rust and
pattered reports of stem rust in other sections where the crop is less advanced. Rye
has suffered less as yet and is expected to give a better than average yield in practically
all important producing States.
Grasses and clovers started early and were growing well on the first of the month,
and at least a fair hay crop for the country as a whole seems assured. The total supply
hay seems likely to be as large in proportion to numbers of hay-consuming livestock
as the average supply in pre-drought years, and substantially larger than in any year
since 1929.