Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-08-18
NO. 1876.
#isfellausons.
FARM BOOKKEEPING.

The Rural Home makes the following
suggestions as to what should be charged
and what credited to the farm in any sys-
tenn of accounts designed to show whether
farming pays:
|. Legal interest on the capital invested
is legitimate charge against the farm.
The capital invested is the amount that
could be realized from the sale Of farm,
stock, utensils, &C., to put in other busi-
ness or place at interest. Many farms are
worth much more to sell than to cultivate.
Attractveness as a home, commanding
prospect, proximity to town, railroad de-
pot, or popular resort, may give farm
mercantile value far beyond what its pro-
ductive capacities would entitle tito. Un-
der such circumstances the only thing that
can justify its continued cultivation-in an
economical point of VIEWS the prospect
that its appreciation in value may exceed
the loss of interest.
=. The cost of cultivation is a legitimate
charge against farm. There are many
items to be included under this head AS
the cost of manual labor, the cost of team
labor, the use of utensils, machinery, &C..
cost of seeds. manure, and everything of
that sort, and finally the value Of the farm
ers own time. If stock, machinery, uten-
est thereon charged, then the farm should
be charged with their keeping and repairs
and depreciation in value. The most diff
cult item to estimate is the value of the
farmers own services, as that depends so
much on his own capacities. If he is
qualified to make judicious plans for the
general advancement of the farm, to di-
rect the labor SO as to make it as effectual
as possible, to do the buying and selling
with Judgment and sagacity, he is entitled
to much larger salary than one who is
only qualified to work under the direction
OF another. If he possesses abilities that
would enable him to succeed in other and
more remuneratng business, his services
may be worth more than the farm can at
ford to pay. A man who is really quail
fled to manage farm of 100 acres ought
to receive for his services $1,000 year.
3. The cost of repairing buildings. in
eluding dwelling, fences, ETC., is legiti-
mate charge against the farm. Here We
must be careful not to get things mixed
and charge twice. If the repairs are made
by the ordinary laborers, and then wages
have been once debited, we must not make
separate charge. New fences and new
buildings are part of the capital upon
which interest is reckoned, and we want
to charge only those materials used in re-
pairing.
4. Any deterioration of the soil. caused
by cropping, that is not restored by
manures purchased outside, is properly
chargeable. Our best farmers do not al
low their soils to deterorate. They pur-
sue such methods of culture, rotation,
stock feeding and manuring, that their
farms rather increase than diminish in fer
tility.
We have enumerated enough items of
cost to satisfy any one that a farm must
roll up pretty large credits to make fa-
vorable balance of the ledger. and yet on
a fertile, well cultivated, well managed
farm, there are many items TO be placed
on the credit side. Let us look at them:
L. All receipts for products sold should
be placed to the credit of the farm. This
is too plain to need elucidation.
2. The growth and consequent increase
in value of young stock, the increase in
fattening stock, the products of all kinds
consumed by the family, the services of
teams used for family convenience and
luxury. are all to be credited to the farm.
The last two items are not sufficiently
appreciated until the family undertakes to
live in town, and are obliged to pay for
them; then they begin to form something
like just estimate of their value.
The rent of the dwelling is an important
item to be credited to the farm. If
farmer ever comes to make such change
that he is obliged to pay from $50 to 800
every quarter for small house on a con-
tracted village lot, he will begin to realize
the value of the use Of a commodious farm
house.
We have now briefly enumerated the
items to be entered in an accurate farm
account. We are not certain that we have
not overlooked some things that ought to
be entered on one side or the other of the
farmers ledger. We have written, not
with the idea OF exhausting the subject,
but to call the attention of farmers to just
estimate of the incomes of their farms.