Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-08-15
cheeriully divided the proits."- Cham
b. -. Inn,u1L


almost universally answered nV farmers
in the negative, though they can rarely,
il ever, make u detailed exhibit of their
hrhts and credits, which will prove either
side Of the question. Yet il is self evil
dent fact that farming pays the nation.
1t IS our great producing industry, the
lu"in- spring which keeps all the machin-
cry Of transportation, commerce and man
ulactures III motion, creating u value of
untold millions out OF materials which
have no commercial worth until trans
formed by labor. II therefore on the
en-" hand, farming does not pay the in
dividnals who pursue it, there must be
something VIZ ng III the system by which
the wealth created by It's labor is divided
"r II "n the other, it docs pay III, indi-
vidual there must be something w.ul.g ia
the system by which his business aG
counts are kept, or he count show by his
hA!iunrc- sheets, his exact business income
and expenditure. the amount of his, profit
rr loss. The latter Is prohab y The ncn-
crai tact; or more properly it Is the fact
that the farmer has no business system
and docs not Keep his accounts in such
form and with such accuracy as to cXhi-
hit the true results of his business opcr-
uti0us
Business enterprises in their income
and cxrendilere are one thing, nnA tn,
support of a family "ith ali It's 1n>i>lrn
til cess, another and very different one
The farmer usua!ly doas not notice this,
tut assumes that the gross sum of his
though these may he but Il ,,t,iety OF the
| w., M. n.
to error in stating iiir capital Invra:t,i ,n
his Business, 1t, II its real and person
~ branches tx >"ratin$ the entire vau;.
| O.: each as Il business investment. just here
the farmer SHOULD act on tie same prin-
riprl that Mould |,n adopted hy manu-
| tc*urr. to detirmine the amount ri his
business capital. In it would be inclu,t-
ell all bindings used for manufacturing,
; and the lar,i and privileges occupied by
TIE same, tho machinery, implements,
vehicles and teams employed cxriusiye-
X II the I'usiu1$-, cash, ana bNtI! raw
ana manufactured stock on hand. and
! >l;;2 ,:<>it balance H. tween bills rtreiy-
! ''!e ,'uo bills }'.yAi't'. Bat he would
r>sluur from ii his dw..ii,n@-,;>u~ suN
:N y. thing thereto .r:,1n::;ng. |r'', real
; vilntev.:; iC do with his business, but
re an outside expenditure Ai*tinvtiyv!y
differing from il
! The farmer should t;.ku an aunHai H.
! vcntory, and i sl'nn'': Include all his
: t;'ri"!I*> :,:;iuS, and if he owns ii, enough
vc't-I;G>l,i t. keep his farm fences and
c.rriNSirc:y firm }uild.uyx in repair, :..
his buildings erected sud used exclusive
F.; ~ ior the business Of the farm, ctock Of
al kinds kept, ali teams kept {or farm
work, a't cash r,;;>7 and mannrcs on
hand, ",,; tAc cre:'it balance helHetn
.,lin bills payable and receivable. From,
TINS inventory be should cXc:U'ie ,l,:.
dwelling house ANA all attached, ;ullr;
ings AMI grounds n;'t ',",.I ~: t:lE.t; 49,:
.ure poses ard e.! Implements, vehicles,
t;,H::< and fixtures provide. Ter tI." pleas.
or t':'m;nrt Of his tamiiv. ;~.;.;u.,:, rs in
Ike ease u lie maoul;;clnrcr, l':ry are ali
ali outside expenditure, anu not e5?rnti-
ally connected with W, >tri>ti;; i,u,in1 us
rycr;.tl:jIs. In the transaction oi his ui-
airs he should ril%:nc t. H.. farm all
labor, including board, whether il :c GA
t,e farm 'r attending t. it.; lu:ineS s.
abroad 81 whether performed bf PERSONS
njr,,1. or by the t""lnrr. his wife. sons or
n,::H; ::.:.:-. -! he should t,c very c;.E..-
fl, IL ci;"Tgc o-ly fer St:r> ices ;.rtrHiy
rendered.
II Is quite cUlii,!,E t'r the farmer 10
; say thar himself and family have lel,ncctl
tic whole wear, vine" the faHt is some or
ali t:'o .i.".t:l,tIs haze spent n1.cS: :,;;'
even months III other business. Attending
s>H'",l, il travel, recreation or an,l>c-
n,"nt; ard it would be ii manifest inius-
tee t. the farm t" charge it fer time thus
occupied. III: :.liuHiG: th"cge all seeds,
! macurcc anu fertilizers used whether
produced on the farm or purchased, all
j new implements purchased, and for all
, repairs OF exclusively farm buildings, fix
! lures, tools and vehicles, and also Tor
; ta*tc and interest on all real and per-
>nDai farm property. Contra: He shouid
give t:ac farm cret!i; for every kind OF
crop 'r product said from ii, at the p,i ice
received, ard for all tho grain, mrat,
! vegetables: milk, butter, rheese, eggs and
other products taken Dy his family. at
; their value on the farm, and whether
wasted or consumed This last item is of
/ the utmost importance, and should be as
: r;g!diy adhered to by the farmer as by
the country merchant. whr charges to his
family all the dry goods, groceries and
! necessary supplies taken Wy them from
bis sto,e. AT the expiration Of the year,
! a new inventory should be taken, en-
bracing exactly the same items as the
original, and the sum OF this inventory
and credits balanced with the sur, of the
debts, and the FIST inventory will show
hin, his gains or losses for the year. To
| many, perhaps most, farmers, the keeping
of books is irksome and i,crp'exing, and
therefore neglected; but it is absolutely
ne cessary it conducted by those principle
which prevail in other business enter
prises.
| No person, neither farmer or anybody
else. can say that his business does or does
not pay, unless the exhibit is made bv a
regular, corrcc! account, kept by the
above or some similar method, 4n;; if
thus kept he might, probably would find
that his business was a good tnr, the
trouble with his final bank account bciuy
caused by deficiency Of labor debts and
excess Of family expenditures.
The person engaged Ill general farming
is really pursuing several distinct KINDS
OF business, each Of which requires special
operations and has its Own income and
! expenditure. He may be CROWN: and
IAttpning meat stock, raising horses or
swine, growing the different kinds Of
grain, roots or vegetables, producing
milk or butter as a market product
Some Of these branches may be very prof.
table. To ascertain this, separate debit
and credit accounts should he kept with
each department, 50 that he may know
the source Of his profit and losses, and
know which department to abandon or
improve, and which it may be for his in
terest to enlarge. 1t is wise, ottcntimcs,
to keep accounts with the separate fields
Of tue farm, and always an exact detailed
record of the expenditures of the farmers
| family, including in the latter all it re-
ceives from the farm, Complicated and
laborlous as all this may seem, il Is no
moro SO than the accounts of intelligent,
accurate business men, whom it often