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Wisconsin
Crop and Livestock Reporter
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE                             WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service                                    Division
of Agricultural Statistics
Federal - State Crop Reporting Service
C. D. Caparoon, In Charge                C. A. Hines, Asst. In Charge   
        E. W. Morehead, Edito
Agricultural Statisticians
G. N. Tucker, Jr.,      A. Sturges,       V. C. Struck,       L. E. Krahn,
        B. A. Nelson
Vol. XL, No. 3
State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin
March 1961
IN THIS ISSUE
Spring Planting Plans
Wisconsin farmers intend
to up their acreages of corn
and oats from last year's
plantings, but the acreage
of hay for harvest may be
down slightly.
Milk Production
Milk production in both
the state and nation during
February showed little
change from a year ago.
Egg Production
Egg production on Wis-
consin farms in February
was the smallest for the
month since 1941. The num-
ber of layers in farm flocks
last month was the smallest
since records began in
1925.
Prices Farmers Receive
and Pay
Prices received by Wis-
consin farmers in February
rose 8 percent from a year
ago while prices paid hit
the all-time high for the
month, according to price
index figures.
Current Trends
The index of Wisconsin
farm marketings at 1 20 per-
cent of the 1947-49 aver-
age in January was off 6
percent from a year ago.
March 1 stocks of butter
and cheese in cold storage
in the nation were above a
year earlier.
Features
Number of Farms
Is Down Sharply
Prices Farmers Receive
Reported by Years
SPRING PLANTING PLANS re-
ported by Wisconsin farmers indi-
cate the acreage of most feed grains
may be larger than a year ago, but
farmers expect to have a slightly
smaller acreage of hay for harvest.
Planting plans reported by Wis-
consin farmers early in March indi-
cate increases over a year ago of 4
percent for corn, 8 percent for oats,
19 percent for spring wheat, and 3
percent for soybeans grown for all
purposes. The barley acreage planted
this year may be off 16 percent from
1960, and a reduction of 25 percent is
indicated for the flax acreage. In-
creases over a year ago of 3 percent
for winter wheat and 15 percent for
rye are reported.
If present plans are carried out,
the state's planted acreage of corn
will be 12 percent above average com-
pared with a decrease of 11 percent
for the oat acreage. Farmers plan
about 1 percent fewer acres of hay
for harvest than a year ago, which
would be close to the average acreage.
May Up Potato Acreage
Wisconsin farmers intend to in-
crease their potato acreage by 3 per-
cent. Changes now indicated for other
crops include increases of 13 percent
for peas for processing, 11 percent
for sugar beets, and the tobacco acre-
age may be up 4 percent from the
1960 harvested acreage. Farmers may
plant 8 percent fewer acres of onions
than last year.
This report is made annually in
March to assist growers generally in
making such acreage changes as may
appear desirable. The effect of this
report as well as the proposed grain
program could change the prospective
acreages now indicated for both Wis-
consin and the nation.
Milk Production Close
To February 1960 Level
Milk production on Wisconsin farms
during February was off 1 percent
from a year ago when there was one
more day of milk production. Dairy
herds in the nation produced 2 per-
cent less milk in February than a
year ago. During the two months of
this year Wisconsin milk production
about equaled the January through
February total of 1960, but produc-
tion for the nation dropped 1 percent.
Wisconsin dairy herds produced
1,440 million pounds of milk in Feb-
ruarv or nearly 15% percent of the
Weather Summary, February 1961
Station
Superior ---
Spooner ----
Park Falls.----
Rhinelander
Medford
Marinette
Antigo ---
Amery --
River Falls
La Crosse
Wis. Rapids
Marshfield
Hancock  -
Oshkosh --
Green Bay--
Portage ----
Sheboygan--
Manitowoc-
Lancaster -
Darlington
Hillsboro-
Madison ---
Beloit-
Lake Geneva-
Milwaukee
(airport).--
Average for
25 stations
Temperature
_19
-16
-11
-22
-9
-10
- 8
-4
-11
-IS
-6
1
l
28
4
- S
10
9
6
4.7
55
Si
54
Si
47
51
so
Si
52
55
46
51
47
St
48
St
53
54
Si
s0
54
55
51.3
X
22
23
23
22
24
28
25
25
25
28
26
25
25
27
25
30
31
28
30
31
27
28
33
32
30
l6.9
p
z
45.!
14.9
14.3
14.1
15.3
21.!
17.4
14.1
16.3
19.3
17.0
16.1
18.3
20.3
17.3
22.7
22.6
23.2
22.6
23.5
20.0
21.9
25.5
23.4
24.2
19.3
Precipitation
E
U-
I.2(
. 44
1. 32
I.27
1.61
1.71
1.71
0.63
1.31
1 .21
1.01
1.20
1.34
0.93
1.42
I.02
1.79
1 .4!
1.43
1.31
1.01
0.75
1.94
1.22
1.12
r
Z
0.81
0.70
1 .04
1.26
1.20
1.27
1.03
0.88
0.92
1.11
1 .07
1.10
0.98
1.23
I .36
1.25
I .57
1.44
1.13
1.08
1.15
1.13
1.29
1.32
1.27
1.14
Ib
0.47
0.98
0.54
-  .09
-0.84
-0.80
- 0.S0
0.50o
0.97
0.95
0.75
0.80
I.17
0.65
-1.13
1 .41
1.14
2.08
2.00
0.80
0.76
0.83
1.24
1.97
2.11
,. '4
1.32
1.09
nation's 9,381 million poun(ls. Milk
production on the state's farms dur-
ing February totaled 16 percent above
the 10-year average for the month
compared with a gain of 7 percent
for the nation.
Prices Farmers Pay
Hits All-Time High
Wisconsin's index of prices received
by farmers for products sold in Feb-
ruary was 8 percent above a year ago
and reached the highest point for the
month since 1954. The index of prices
paid by farmers in February set an
all-time high for the month. Purchas-
ing power of farm products, the ratio
of prices received to prices paid,
gained 6 percent from the February
1960 index.
Farm product price gains from
January to February are reported for
meat animals, poultry, and eggs while
losses occurred in the prices for milk
and crops. Milk prices showed about
the usual seasonal decline.
Compared with a year ago, the
state's farmerv nCtq do1ly ply
AF l       196 1
I IrElql ATIVF
or
z
rs
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