Economic and Marketing Information                                                                                                                                                                                      FOR INDIANA  FARMERS
Prepared by the Agricultural Staff of Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana
Prices Expected to Strengthen
December 31, 1958
Supplies of Most Legume, Grass Seeds Smaller
by KELLER E.  BEESON, Agronomy, and F. V. SMITH, Agricultural Economics
THE United States' supplies of
alfalfa, red clover, sweet clover, ladino clover, timothy, smooth
brome, sudangrass, orchardgrass,
tall fescue, and redtop seeds were
smaller in the fall of 1958 than they
were a year earlier. Supplies of
alsike clover and lespedeza seeds
were slightly larger this fall than
they were a year ago. Table 1.
United States' production of red
clover, ladino clover, lespedeza,
and tall fescue was larger in 1957
than in 1958. Alfalfa, sweet clover,
alsike clover, timothy, smooth
brome, sudangrass, orchardgrass,
and redtop crops were smaller in
1958 than in 1957.
Total farmer and dealer carryover on June 30, 1958, was more
than one-half of the fall 1958
total supply for smooth brome, sudangrass, and ladino clover; one-
fourth to one-half of the supply of
alfalfa, sweet clover, alsike clover,
timothy, and redtop, and less than
one-fourth of the supply of red
clover, lespedeza, orchardgrass,
and tall fescue.
Domestic disappearance during
1957-58 was larger than the previous year for red clover, sweet
clover, timothy, sudangrass, and
orchardgrass. Alfalfa, alsike clover, ladino clover, lespedeza,
smooth brome, tall fescue, and
redtop were used in smaller quantities during 1957-58 than in 1956-
57.
Supplies available for 1958-59
were in excess of the 1957-58 domestic disappearance for alfalfa,
red clover, alsike clover, ladino
clover, lespedeza, timothy, smooth
brome, sudangrass, tall fescue, and
redtop. Available supplies of
sweet clover and orchardgrass
seeds were about equal to last
year's domestic disappearance.
The domestic demand for forage
crop seeds during 1958-59 is expected to be about the same as for
1957-58.
Prices in November, 1958 generally were higher for most legume and grass seeds than they
were a year earlier. However, November prices for birdsfoot trefoil, Kentucky bluegrass, and
southwestern common alfalfa
were lower than in November,
1957. Retail prices of most legume
and grass seeds are expected to
be somewhat higher in Indiana
during the late winter and next
spring than they were a year
earlier.
variety recommendations
for Indiana
Consider substituting alfalfa for
red clover. Relatively larger supplies of adapted varieties of alfalfa
for 1959 planting compared to
limited  supplies  of home  grown
Table 1.   Estimated  1958 Supplies of Important Forage Crop Seeds Used in Indiana1
U. S. Production
Total Carry-over
United States Supply
1958-
Change
from
1957
19583
Change
from
1957
19584
Change
from
1957
Domestic Disappearance Difference between
1958-59 supply
Change and 1957-58
from domestic
1957-58        1956-57 disappearance
Alfalfa
Red Clover
Sweet Clover
Alsike   Clover
Lodino   Clover
l«pedeia
Timothy
Smooth  Brome
Sudangrass
Orchardgrass
To"   Fescue
Redtop
(Million
pounds
147
80
29
9.5
3.5
162
29
10
46
14
28
2.8
(Percent)
- 9
+ 10
- 4
-18
+ 20
+ 14
-23
-61
-56
- 7
+ 20
-21
(Million
pounds)
61
24
19
7.3
4.7
14
12
23
56
4.5
5.4
1.4
(Percent)
+ 3
- 19
- 4
+ 21
- 44
- 28
+ 8
+ 1158
+ 251
+ 8
- 52
- 19
(Million
pounds)
208
104
49
18
8.2
176
41
34
103
19
33
4.2
(Percent)
- 6
- 2
-29
+   2
-27
+ 9
-17
- 8
-19
-21
- 4
-20
(Million
pounds)
141
82
50
9.8
4.3
147
34
12
69
19
28
3.2
(Percent)
-14
+ 17
+  2
- 4
-24
- 1
+  3
-11
+ 17
+ 27
-11
-10
(Million
pounds)
+ 67
+ 22
-    1
+ 8.2
+ 3.9
+ 29
+ 7
+ 22
'Source: "Grass and Legume Seeds" report, USDA, Agricultural Marketing   Service,   Crop   Reporting   Board.
"Estimated   production   of   cleaned   seed   November,   1958.
Estimated farmer, dealer and government carry-over June 30,  1958.
'1958 production  plus carry-over on June 30,   1958, and  imports from July  1   to September 30,  1958.