The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-12

advent forces two things upon the con
slderation of the prudent, thoughtful
farmer: the balancing of accounts, and
the bearing of the lessons learned, upon
future operations.
BUSINESS VIEW OF MATTERS.
How do expenditures and receipts
compare? We fear comparatively few
OF our readers can answer that question
If every one could, how quickly would
reform begin. Farmers frequently say
they are making no money" but in
their secret councils they think otherwise
not knowing exactly the state of the
case, they hope they are making little.
NO man in his senses is willing to work
hard whole year for nothing-hc must
hope either for present or prospective
gain. True, very few in any of the avo-
cations OF life are making much just now,
and the farmer may comfort himself with
the reflection that he has plenty of
company. But such uncertain, doubtful
conclusions ought not to satisfy scnsi-
bic man-hc should know with absolute
certainty whether the policy lie is pursu-
ing Is wise or paying one-and we
take this fitting occasion to urge again
upon our readers the very great impor-
tancc of keeping books, with as much
care rs tn: merchant or the 1, anuflcturcr
does. A farmer should keep an account
with every one of his crops, and with
every one of his fields. In no other wav
can he learn whether this or that crop
pays, or this or that field warrants the
expense Of cultivation. We are thor
oughly satisfied that on very great
many farms, the cultivation of some poor
fields absorbs all the profits from the
! richer and better noriions
at the beginning of the year settle as
near as can be, the cost per day of each
hand on the place, of mule and plough,
wagon and team, and each night enter in
n book (blank ones made especially for
this can be had), the cost of labor, &C..
spent on each field. In like manner.
enter daily the cost of labor spent on
corn crop, cotton, &c. Keep also an ac-
count Of general expenses, such as fenc-
ing, and at the end OF the year divide
this out among the different crops in
proportion to the expenditures on each.
DO the same with the interest on capital
invested in farm, and taxes on the whole,
the uncultivated and unused portions of
the farm as well as that planted, also
with the wear and tear Of stock, wagons.
implements, &c. The farmers personal
supervision and care, ought certainly Ia
be worth as much as house rent, firewood
and the usual perquisites Of farm-nn
oversccr could not be hired for these
alone, he would demand them and q
salary additional. We simplify tho ac-
count then by letting these things offset
each other. Now with such a record nj
the end of the year, a farmer could tell
pretty we'll what he was whether
making money or not-what crops and
what fields paid and what did not-what
kind OF fertilizing and cultivating gave
best returns. What q flood Of light
would be thrown upon all the operations
OF the farm by half hours work each
night, that time being ample to make all
the necessary records. Would not the
valuable knowledge gained be worth that
little trouble? Don't say | am not q
book-keeper and cannot do it-any one
without training or experience in the
matter, can do what we have suggested
it is perfectly simple and perfectly easy.
One of your boys or girls, or even the
good wife, would make the records if YOU
were tired. Try it next year and learn
for yourselves how easy it is.
LESSONS OF 1873.
| Have you learned anything additional
about your business from the experiments
and experience of the year Just closing,
or have you moved along in the same
old grooves and ruts? Have you OBJ
served an marked points all along its
course which you could improve upon
| during. the coming yearl Have you
| studied out Il better rotation of crops
one that will preserve and enrich your
land, and at the same time give remune-
rating crops? Have you closely studied
the defects in your ploughs and manner
gn fI.nt
be able to do more and better work, with
less number of furrows? Have you
made any progress in finding out what
fertilizers, whether commercial or com
posts, or combinations Of these, pay best
on your lands and crops? Have you
noted any difference in results, of deep or
shallow culture, on different soils and
crops, and ut different stages of their
growth? These are few only of the
questions which might be asked, and to
which the observing, rejecting farmer
ought to be able 20 give more or less def
mite answers. AT present the margin of
profits is very small, and it is only by
close calculation and the incest manage
ment that money can be made. The
North is agitatcd about making hours
n lab" ing day. AT the South Sambo
pract. ally settled that question long ago,
and the two great problems in Southern
farming now are, how to supplement
labor by improved implements, machines
| and methods, and how to enrich the soil
so as to produce maximul, crops with
the minimum labor which Sambo gives.
Those are the leading problems The
next is how to decrease the money crops.
| We sell almost everything we make, and
buy almost everything we whereas
we ought to make almost everything we
need, and buy almost nothing. The
present system of cultivating money
/ crops aiInos. exclusively, places us at the
mercy of spectators and middlemen !;
cutting down the money crops to small
est dimensions would restore us again to
the old time independence. What is to
prevent farmer from raising all the
horses and mules he needs-all the pork,
beef. mutton, poultry, butter and eggs
all the wheat, corn, potatoes, syrup. tea,
fruits and vegetables he needs? What
necessity for him to buy axe helves and
hoe helvcs, and cradles and plough stocks
and handles. a little work on rainy
days, and Il little sound economy about
little matters, would help us amazingly.
We are poor folks-madc poor in the
first instance, not by laziness but by the
noble imp>''es of patriotic self-sacriGcc,
and we - be ashamed, but rather
proud, OF q 1t us therefore come down
to it, and act accordingly. "a man is n
man for all that" The wearer of home
spun, out of debt, has nothing to envy
him who, clothed in purple and fine linen
and faring sumptuously every day, he's