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STATE LOUkh LNT
WIS. LEG. REF. LIBRARY
WISCONSIN
CROP AND LIVESTOCK REPORTER
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE        WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Bureau of Agricultural Economics             Division of Agricultural Statistics
Federal-State Crop Reporting Service
Walter H. Ebling,        C. D. Caparoon,         Emery C. Wilcox,       
Cecil W. Estes
Aauleultuwrl Statlfloelaum
Vol. XXIX, No. 4           State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin            
  April 1950
IN THIS ISSUE
April Crop Report
Farm work in Wisconsin and
generally throughout the mid-
western states has been slow in
starting this spring because of
the cold and wet weather dur-
ing March and early April.
Winter wheat production in
Wisconsin as well as for the
nation is expected to be smaller
than last year. Pasture condi-
tions in both state and nation
are below average.
Stocks of Grain on Farms
Stocks of corn on Wisconsin
farms are over twice average
holdings and stocks of wheat,
oats, barley, and rye are above
average although smaller than
a year ago. For the nation farm
stocks of corn, wheat, oats, bar-
ley, rye, and soybeans are
smaller than a year ago.
Milk Production
Wisconsin's milk production
in March was 2 percent above
March last year, and for the
nation the increase is 4 percent
over a year ago.
Egg Production
Egg production in both the
state and nation during March
was above a year earlier. The
increased production resulted
from larger laying flocks-egg
production per layer was below
March last year.
Prices Farmers Pay and
Receive
Prices received by Wisconsin
farmers declined slightly from
February to March. Purchasing
power of the Wisconsin farm
dollar dropped from February
to March as farm prices de-
clined and the prices paid by
farmers increased.
Current Trends
Cold storage holdings of eggs,
frozen poultry, butter, and
cheese are all larger than a
year ago. -Stocks of dried, con-
densed, and evaporated   milk
total well below  a year ago.
Slaughter of cattle, calves,
sheep and lambs, and hogs in
March was above February, but
only hog slaughter was larger
than March 1949.
Special News Item (page 4)
Farm Wages
WITH UNUSUALLY WET and
cold weather during March and
early April progress of farm work in
the midwestern region has been slow
this year. Moisture so far in 1950 has
been a little above normal though the
excess is not enough to make up for
the shortage in 1949. Even though
farm work has been seriously delayed
due to cold and wet conditions, as
favorable weather develops it should
proceed rapidly. With modern mech-
anization seasonal delays to some
extent can be overcome by rapid
progress when conditions become
favorable.
Pastures are off to a slow start and
hay crops likewise. While some win-
ter damage is indicated losses are
not believed to be especially large.
The acreage of hay crops in prospect
is somewhat larger than last year.
Rye and Pasture Condition, April 1
Wisconsin   United States
10-yr.       10-yr.
Crop  1950  1949  av.  1950  1949  av.
1939-         1939-
48           48
Rye -    88  89   88  85   89  83
Pasture.   83  83  89  80  85  81
The nation's winter wheat crop is
smaller than was indicated earlier and
well under last year. In Wisconsin the
winter wheat yields prospect are also
a little lower than a year ago. Rye
condition is about average in this
state and a little above average for
the country. Pasture conditions for
both the state and the country as a
whole are under average.
Winter Wheat Production
Wisconsin
United States
Thousands of bushels
Indi-          10-yr.
cated   1949  averag4
1950          1939-48
580     608    687
763,590 901,668 758,821
1950 as a
percent of
10-yr.
1949 average
1939-48
95.4   84.4
84.7  100.6
Later reports indicate that the
acreage of canning crops will prob-
ably be a little smaller than last year.
A large decline in sweet corn acreage
is in prospect for Wisconsin and for
the country as a whole. The acreage
of snap beans is expected to decline
about 10 percent in Wisconsin, but
for the United States it will be about
as large as last year. The acreage of
canning peas both for Wisconsin and
the United States is expected to be as
large this year as it was in 1949.
Weather Summary, March 1950
Station
Duluth..-
Spooner
Park Falls
Rhinelande,
Wausau--
Marinette-
Escanaba
Minneapolis
Eau Claire
La Crosse_
Hancock...
Oshkosh---
Green Bay.
Manitowoc
Dubuque
Maidson .
Beloit
Milwaukee
Average los
18 Stations
Temperature
Degrees Fahrenheit
E
20
_19
-20
-22
-14
-6
13
40
8
14
- 9
_10
-S
-5
-8
4
4
-12 8
a
45
45
45
49
48
51
44
46
45
51
48
52
49
45
59
55
57
59
49.0
I
18.8
18.8
18.8
19.5
24.9
25,2
22.5
24.C
24.2
27.5
23.7
25.
24.3
27.
30.3
27.4
31.4
29.C
24.7
23.7
26.5
23, 9
28.1
311.
24.2
29.4
30.(
i31 .5
29.5
30.8
28.4
30.4
34.(
30.4
34.4
30.1
29.(
Precipitation
Inches
; ea
Z X
1.89 1.54 +L.02
2.34 1.44 + 1 .92
2.48 1.87 + 1.64
2.45 1.28 +3.60
2.43 1.73 +2.67
3.00 2.14  0.12
3.83 I .89 +2.49
2.20 I .42 +0.92
2.47 1.92 +0.66
2.01 1.61 + I .02
1.74 1.66 4-0.75
2.24 1.77 +1 .05
2.49 2.04 + .44
1.52 2.29 +0.55
1.50 2.03 +0.06
2.18 2.07  l 1.70
1.62 2.26  - 0.32
2.50 2.42 +0.03
2.27 I1 85 -I
Milk Production
Wisconsin's milk production in
March was 2 percent greater than in
March 1949. In some of the other
dairy sections of the country there
was a relatively greater increase and
for the United States as a whole
4 percent more milk was produced
than in March 1949. Compared with
the 10-year 1939-48 average for the
month, Wisconsin's production was 14
percent greater and that for the na-
tion was 6 percent higher.
The milk produced in the entire
country amounted to 9 billion 996
million pounds in March. Wisconsin's
total was 1 billion 383 million pounds
or 14 percent of the total. For the
first three months of the year milk
production in Wisconsin was 1 percent
above last year whereas the nation's
production was up 4 percent.
Egg Production
Wisconsin farm laying flocks con-
tained about 5 percent more layers in
March than a year ago and about 1Y2
percent more than the 5-year 1944-48
average number. Farm flocks of the
nation were also larger. There were
61f/2 percent more layers on the United
States farms in March than a year
ago, but this number was 4 percent
lower than the 5-year average.
The rate of production per layer
was lower for both Wisconsin and the
United States. Wisconsin layers aver-
aged 16.18 eggs per layer-1 percent
lower than March 1949, but 2 percent
1-