Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-08-15
cheerfully divided the. sprotlts."- Cham,
ber,s Journal -" fzss, =. s~'' .-.----~-
FARM lAccetrr,,, N.st i

almost universally answered by iarmers
in the negative, though. they can rarely,
if ever, make detailed exhibit of their
bcbts and credits, which will prove either
side ofthe qpestion.s Yet II IA self evil
dent fact that farming pays the nation.
1t is our great producing industry, the
main-spring which keeps all the machin-l
cry of transportation, commerce and man.
utactures in motion, creating, a value of
untold millions out bfsmater1ilS which
have no commercial worth until trans
formed by labor. it therefore on the
onephand, farming does not pay them
dividuals who pursue it, there, must be
something wrong in the system (which!
the wealth created by its labor is divided
or if on the other, it does pay the indi-
vidual there must be something wrong in
the system by (which his business &C
counts are kept, or he could show by his
balance sheets, his exact business income
and expenditure, the amount of his, profit
or loss. The latter IS probab y the gen.
eral facts or more properly it IS the fact
that the farmer has no business system
and does not Keep his accounts in such
form and with such accuracy as to cxhi-
bit the true results of his business oper-
atl0ns.} " isnit :. -.tt' .~5!Es .,,!,!i&>A
Business enterprises in their income
and expenditure are one thing, and the
support of family with all its inciden-
tai costs, another and very different one.
The farmer usually does not notice this,
but assumes that the gross sum of his
yearly expenses are farm expenses,
though these may be but moiety of the
amount In,his, calculations he Is, prone
to error in stating'fhe capital Invested IN
his business, il; til its real and person
ly branches, by treating the entire value
Of each ,as Observation-Disclosures. j ust here
the farmer should act on the same prin-
cipal that would be- adopted by manu-
facturer to detirmine the amount Of bis
business capitai.' init would be" fnclriu.-
ed all buildings used for manufacturing,
and the land and privileges occupied by
the same, the machinery, implements,
vehicles and teams employed exclusive.
ly in the business, cash, and both raw
and manufactured stock on hand, and
!! the credit balance between bills receiv-
liable and bills payable. BIT he would
exclude from it his dweliing-house and
everything thereto Belonging, both real
and personal, because they have nothing
whatever TO do with his business, but
are an outside exp expenditure distinctively
differing from it,
The farmer should take, an annual i'll
ventory, and ii should include all his
farming !:nds, and if he owns it, enough
woodland to keep his farm fences and
exclusively farm buildings in repair, nj!
his buildings erected and used exclusive
ly for the business of the farm, stock of
all kinds kept, all teams kept for farm
work, all cash crops and thanures on
hand, and the. credit balance between
farm bills payable and receivable. From
this inventory he should exclude the
dwelling house and all attached build
ings and grounds not used TO: tarnl p,,r.
.ure poses, and all implements, vehicles,
teat,ls and fixtures provides for the pleas
or comfort of his family, because, as in
the case of the manufacturer, they are all
an outside expenditure, AMI not essenti-
ally connected with his strictly business
operations. In the transaction OF his af-
fairs he should charge to the farm all
labor, including board, whether it be on
the farm or attending to its business
abroad, or whether performed BY, persons
nired, or by the farmer, his wife, Sons .oi
daughters. Bit he should be very care
fui to charge only for services actually
rendered. s: %
It. is quite common for the farmer to
say that himself and family hove Tailored
! the whole year, when the fast is, some or
| all Tire members have spent weeks and
ox,o
! school, in travel, recreation or amuse-
mcnt; and it would be manifest inMs-
tice to the farm TO charge it for time thus
occupied. lie should charge all seeds;
| manures and fertilizers. used, whether
produced on the farm or purchased, all
new implements purchased, and for all
repairs of exclusively farm buildings, ii x:
lures, tools. and <vehicles;; band also for
taxes and interest. on all. real and per-
| soDai farm property. Contra: He should
give the farm credit for every kind ST
crop CT product sold from it, at the price
received; and for all the grain ;nleat;
vegetables, milk, .sutter, cheese, egss and
other products taken sby his family. at
their value on the farm, and whether
wasted or consumed This last item is :ot
the utmost Importance, and should be as
r;gidty adhered to; by the farmer as. by
the country merchant, wlio >charges to his
family all the dry goods, groceries snd
necessary supplies taken ny them from
bis stoie.I Az the expiration Of tic year,
a new inventory should: be, taken, en-
bracing exactly the same items as the
original, and tho sum Of this inventory
and credits balanced with the sum of the
debts, and TIE fist inventory viii show
| him his gains or l6sses for the year. To
many, perhaps most, farmers, the keeping
of books is irksorne and perplexing, ana
therefore neglected; but it is absolute1Sy
necessary it conducted BY those: principles
which prevail in other business enter
prises. ... Observation-Disclosures
No person, neither farmer or any body
else, can say that his business does Of, dies
l. not pay, unless the exhibit is made, by a
Irregular, correct account, kept by the
Eabove or some similar method, and if
thus kept he might, probably would, find
that his business was good enc, the
trouble with his final bank account being
caused by deficiency of labor debts aud
excess Of family expenditures. ~ Il
ESSAgZn. y
is really pursuing several distinct KINDS
of business, each of.which requires special
operations and has its own incomel am,
expenditure. He may be growing and
fattening meat stock, raising horses or
swine, growing ;lha different kinds of
grain, roots or vegetables, producing
milk or butter as a market product.
Some Of these branches may beyery prof.
table. To ascertain this, separate debit
and credit accounts should lie kept with
eacha department; 30 that he may: know
the source of his profit and losses, and
know which department to abandon OF
improve, and which II: may be- furfibs In
terest to enlarge. It is wise, ottentimes,
to keep accounts with the separate fields
Of the farm, and slways an exact detailed
record of the. expsnd iturss Of the, farmefa.
family, including in the-s lRttsi AL it re-
ceives from the farm. Complicated and
laberio1s az 1lltlfii may seeln,,an is lac
more So than the accounts Of aintellg ent
1 ~