Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-23
Farm Accounts.

1t is well to inculcate agricultural
science and to demonstrate the. funda-
mental principles, on which farming
rests, but it should not be forgotten
that it is a business principle. 10 this
end it is absolutely necessary that the
farmer should keep as accurate and in
telligent book accounts as other bust
ness men, though it is not essential that
they should be as elaborate as in large
mercantile enterprises. The general
farmer may be said to carry on several
branches of business, as dairying, stock
raising, grain growing, ETC., and it is
well to keep separate account with his
whole farms as such, tnat he may know
whether it pays for the labor, and a fair
per cent. on the capital invested, and
this may be simply and easily kept.
The account may be opened April LIST
or Januray LIST, but the former is pref
cradle. AT the date selected, an inven-
tory with a first appraisal should be
made Of all the property, both real and
personal, which is to be used in the bus
mess. Of the farm. but should include
anything real or personal, which the
farmer may have provided for shelter,
comfort, convenience, amusement,
pleasure, OR luxury Of his. family. In
the business of. the farm he should
charge it with everything it receives
seed, repairs, taxes on the farm proper.
ty, labor, and the latter should include
not only that hired, but also of every
member of his own family who labors
in whole or in part for the farm, and
the cost of board while. SO employed
But great care should be taken chat nc
labor is charged which the farm does
not receive. 0nthe other side the farm
should be credited with everything it
produces, including farm products OF
every kind and description. consumed
by the farmer and his family. This
credit; should be The sums received for
the crops sold, and for those consumed
by the family, their value on the farm.
at the close of the year the charges
and credits should be added, the differ
ence in the amounts be found; a new
inventory should'be made, and the diff
ference between the first and second as
certained. Twill assume, for illustrat-
ing the method, that the credits exceed
the charges, and the second inventory
exceeds the first, and as we wish to
know the per cent. received on tie cap
ital, the two amounts should be added
and divided by the amount of tie first
inventory, and it will. be found. There
are few fatms so poor, or so poorly
managed that they do not pay a higher
interest than government bonds, and
such an account, honestly kept, will
show it.-Ex.
San francisco Post:-Theo other morn
ing a ~sad-loolzing citizen walked into
the Office of Wells g. Fargois Express
and began solemnly doing up in a pack
age a battered-looking silver dollar,
Having accomplished this he passed the
enclosure over to the clerk and said:
81 found this dollar On Market Street
last night and l wish you'd address it to
Adelina Patti, New York. Think
she lost it, eh?" Think? 2" said the
man III a surprised voice: "why, OF
course. So far as l can learn it's the
only dollar left in San Francisco, and
of course it must have been dropped by
her. Send it along, please, and you'll
have to collect the charges at the othe,
end. / haven't got s cent