No. 312 September 1,  1951
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
In the month of August drouth condition developed in the sourMeast-iid spread over
much of the south and eastern parts of the state. jLate crops were damaged and pasture
condition reduced. Temperatures lower than normal limited the effect of the drouth.
The forecast of corn production at 254,232,00OJ_busneTs frdm an indicated 54 bushels
per acre is down more than 9 million bushels. TnF-crop. till jpromises 19 percent more
than last year, and 20 percent more than average. 
The yield of oats after harvest is reported as 37.0 bushels per acre, orTwo bushels
lower than last month. Production of 52,836,000 is about the same as last year, and
10 percent above average.
Soybeans show no change since last month as the acreage in the drier section is relatively small. The forecast of 36,800,000 bushels is the largest crop the state has had.
Drouth cut the production of alfalfa hay by 25,000 tons and lespedeza hay by 8,000
tons. All hay forecast at 2,640,000 tons is one percent more than last year, and 4 percent
more than average. Pasture condition dropped 11 points in the month but at 81 is still
6 points higher than average.
Commercial apples improved in August by 81,000 bushels with the current forecast
at 1,434,000 bushels. This is 41 percent above last year and 11 percent above average.
Other fruits showed little change and remain considerably below average.
Milk production per cow remained at a high level so milk production in August of
331 million pounds is 4 million above a year ago despite a smaller number of cows.
Production was 2 million pounds below average however.
Egg production per 100 layers in August was 1,438, a new high record. Because the
number of layers was lower August egg production of 151 million eggs is two million
below a year ago. Production January through August was 1,621 million eggs this year,
and 1,645 million last year.
UNITED STATES
Production prospects on September 1, although slightly lower than a month earlier,
continue to indicate the second largest all-crop volume of record. Some major crops
deteriorated under unfavorable August weather conditions, chief among them corn and
peanuts, while some others improved. For most crops changes from the August 1 forecasts were relatively small. Harvesting of small grains was retarded by intermittent
rains in much of the spring grain area, but elsewhere harvesting conditions were mostly
good. Much fall plowing has been done and a little fall seeding was underway in well-
prepared seedbeds. Pastures were mostly good, except in drier parts of the South.
Corn prospects declined slightly during August, because of lack of good "corn weather"
in parts of the Corn Belt and dry weather in Ohio and the South. Production is now
forecast at 3,131 million bushels, 76 million less than on August 1. In the northwestern
part of the Corn Belt, slow progress of corn is causing concern that some will not reach
maturity before killing frosts occur. The all wheat estimate remained below the billion-
bushel mark—at 999 million bushels—despite a slight increase in spring wheat to 348
million bushels. Earlier estimates placed the winter wheat crop at 651 million bushels.
More spring wheat than usual remained unharvested, particularly in North Dakota,
Wyoming and Montana, and harvesting losses on this portion may be heavy. Winter
wheat was virtually all harvested.
As the net result of these relatively small changes in prospective production, the
index of all-crop outturn dropped one point during August to 133 percent of the 1923-32
average. This barely tops the 1949 mark, but is exceeded only by the 138 percent in
1948. Hay, rice and grapes are expected to set production records this year, with soybeans and tobacco near record. Among crops much larger than average are corn, cotton,
sorghum grain, plums and hops. Oats, sugar beets, sugarcane, apples, pears, and tree
nuts will exceed average by a smaller margin. Crops below average in size include wheat,
barley, rye, flaxseed, peanuts, dry beans, potatoes, broomcorn, peaches, and prunes, with
buckwheat, dry peas, sweetpotatoes and apricots far below average volume.
August weather in most areas was less favorable than usual for growing crops and
farm activities. While average temperatures for the month varied only slightly from
normal in much of the country, it was cooler than usual in the upper Great Lakes area