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WISCONSIN
CROP AND LIVESTOCK REPORTER
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUiE
Bureau of Agricultural Economics
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Division of Agrisultural Statistics
Walter H. Ebling,
Federal-State Crop Reporting Service
C. D. Caparoon,             Emery C. Wilcox,
ACeeistaual StatiutU.9a
Cecil W. Estes
Vol. XXIX, No. 3             State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin          
       March, 1950
IN THIS ISSUE
Planting Plans This Spring
In Wisconsin as well as for
the nation farmers are planning
to plant smaller corn and
spring wheat acreages. More
oats and barley will be planted
this year than in 1949. While
there will be changes in the
acreages of the different crops
grown in the state, Wisconsin's
total crop acreage will be about
equal to the one planted last
year.
Milk Production
February milk production on
Wisconsin farms was slightly
larger than a year ago. For the
nation, milk production in Feb-
ruary was a record for the
month.
Egg Production
With the high rate of laying,
February egg production on
Wisconsin farms equaled the
1944 record production. Egg
production for the nation was
8 percent larger than in Febru-
ary last year as a result of
larger laying flocks and a high
rate of laying.
Prices Farmers Receive and
Pay
Prices received for products
sold by Wisconsin farmers re-
mained steady from January to
February but the February gen-
eral level was more than 4 per-
cent below a year ago. The
farm price level was 7 percent
lower for the nation this Febru-
ary than it was a year ago.
Current Trends
Feed costs have declined
somewhat from a year ago.
February hog slaughter was
3 percent above a year ago but
slaughter of other livestock was
below February 1949. Non-agri-
cultural income has increased
about 4 percent and agricultural
income has dropped 16 percent
from a year ago.
Special Items (pages 3 and 4)
Current Trends Summary
Merchantable Potato Stocks
1949 Potato Planting Prac-
tices
p LANTING PLANS for this spring
made by Wisconsin farmers show
that there will be some important
acreage changes from a year ago but
that the total crop acreage probably
will be about the same as in 1949.
At the beginning of March the
Department of Agriculture made its
annual nation-wide planting inten-
tions survey. This survey is made to
help farmers in making further
changes in their acreage plans for
this year, and the acreages published
in this survey may bring new changes
in farmers plans. Changes from pres-
ent planting intentions also may be
made because of weather conditions,
general business conditions, and farm
programs.
A big question now is how much
winterkilling took place in the tame
hay crop. Before Wisconsin farmers
will be able to make their final plant-
ing plans they need to know how hay
has come through the winter. Wis-
consin's crop acreage is about 40 per-
cent tame hay, and if the crop
emerges from winter with little dam-
age the intentions-to-plant survey as
now reported probably will be closely
followed.
So far Wisconsin farmers expect to
plant about as many acres of tobacco
and potatoes as they did last year.
There will be smaller acreages of
corn, spring wheat, and flax than
were planted in 1949. To offset the
decreases in these crop acreages, Wis-
consin farmers expect to have a little
larger oat acreage and increase their
barley, soybean, and tame hay acre-
ages. While there will be further
changes in the acreages of the differ-
ent crops, the state's total crop acre-
age is expected to be about equal to
the one planted in 1949.
Smaller Corn Acreage
About 2,516,000 acres of corn are
expected to be planted in the state
this year, which is 105,000 acres be-
low the planted acreage last year.
The 4 percent decrease in the corn
acreage probably comes from farmers
cooperating in the acreage allotment
program. Wisconsin has 33 counties
in the nation's commercial corn area.
However many farmers producing
mainly silage corn may not partici-
pate in the program.
A decrease of 3 percent from last
year's planted acreage is expected for
spring wheat. The acreage this year
may be about 83,000 acres-3,000
acres below 1949. Because of a new
spring wheat variety the spring
wheat acreage is almost two-thirds
above average.
More Oats and Barley
The oat acreage may be 1 percent
larger than planted last year, which
Weather Summary, February 1950
Station
Duluth
Spooner ---
Park Falls--
Rhinelander
Wausau--
Marinette -
Escanaba--
Minneapolis
Eau Claire..
La Creasse-
Hancock.--
O.bklosh--
Green Day
Manitowac
Dubuque --
Madisa. ---
Bebit.
Milwaukee
Average foe
Is Stations
Temper
Degrees Fe
7
E
I
20
-32
-25
-23
-18
-12
-18
-IS
-12
-25
-15
-1:
- S
- 4
- 7
-15.1
E
S
.I
41
38
39
37
40
39
39
41
41
42
41
38
36
30
42
38
41
39
C39.4
bretur
breaheit
15.2 11.4
13.5 13.2
13.8 12.1
13. 313.3
18. 15. 1
10.4 22.2
17.6 15.4
is.415.9
166 16 4
266 19.2
16 5 16 9
19.4 19.1
16.7 17.6
22.6 20.9
23.3 22,2
21.6 19.1
25.1 22. 5
24.0 21.2
18.5 17. 5
Precipitation
Inches
_ _
0.50 1.05 +0.67
0.27 0.91 +1.62
0.40 124 +1.03
0.690.93 +2.43
1.24 1.09 +1.97
0.39 1.82 - .98
6.71 1.49 +0.s5
0.68 6.95 +9.14
6.58 1.17 +0.11
1.43 1.67 +6.62
0.94 1.19 +0.67
0.75 1.13 +0.58
1.45 1.56 +0.9"
1.84 1.59 +1.32
1.51 1.31 +6.59
1.94 1.50 +1.59
.U 1.35 +6.32
1.39 1.83 -0.65
0.98 1.2 -+O .75
would be an increase of 30,000 acres.
Present plans indicate Wisconsin will
plant 3,060,000 acres of oats this
year. This is the second-largest acre-
age of any crop grown in the state.
Tame hay ranks first. Demand for
malting barley and proved varieties
of barley may be factors in Wiscon-
sin farmers planning an 8 percent
larger barley acreage this year. The
acreage, however, will still be only a
little over half the 10-year average
for the state.
If winterkilling has not been seri-
ous, Wisconsin will have 4,052,000
acres of hay this year. This is 3 per-
cent more than the state had last
year but slightly under the 10-year
average acreage. Many farmers, par-
ticularly in southern Wisconsin are
concerned over the damage that may
have been done to the hay fields by
ice and by the freezing and thawing.
March weather, however, has been
favorable to the crop with some snow
cover and no sharp changes in tem-
perature. The late spring may be
favorable to hay and grass.
The state's soybean acreage will be
a fifth larger than last year if the
58,000 acres in prospect are planted.
Flax acreages will be cut almost a
fifth from 1949 with only 14,000 acres
planned for this year.
Present nlans are for 81,000 acres
of potatoes to be planted this year.
This would be only a little over one-
half of the 10-year average acreage.
The tobacco acreage will be a little
. . .
. .
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