The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-10-17
Bookkeeping for Farmers.

at the same Time comprehensive, SYs-
tenn of bookkeeping for the use "a
farmers. 1t is often stated that farm
ers are the only class of people that are
engaged in a business employing con-
siderable amount of capital who do not
keep a set of books. 1t is q rule in
the Bankrupt courts in most countries
that no trader who does not keep q set
of books can obtain his discharge. If
this rule was applied to farmers none
OF them. however unfortunate in bust
ness. would apply to a commission
in bankruptcy to be released from his
obligations on making over his proper
ty. A farmer generally carries his ac-
counts in his head His balance sheet
at the end of the year in his pocket
book. If he has no outstanding notes,
no store bills or other obligations. but a
considerable sum of money in his peck
ct, he naturally concludes that his labor
and capital have been pr0fitably en-
ployed during the year. If, however,
ne has no cash, and is repeatedly asked
to pay debts contracted during the year,
he ascertains without applying to an
expert accountant that he has been los
ing money instead of making any. If
asked at the close of prosperous sea-
son which department. of farming or
stock-raising has been the most profita-
BILE he is not able to answer. If he
started in the business of farming with
considerable capital invested in land,
stock and tools, and. after q series of
years, is obliged to sell out in order to
meet the demands OF his creditors, he
would find it difficult to give very
satisfactory reason for his failure. Few
farmers can give such an account of
their gains or losses as would be of any
great value to one who was about to
engage in the business of farming. Very
few can tell with any considerable de-
gree of accuracy what kind OF crops or
what class of live stock has paid best
during q series of years.
1t is claimed that farmers have more
need to keep books than traders and
manufacturers have, because their bust
ness is more complicated. Some have
with every field, so that it may be as
certained at the end of each year wheth-
er the crop produced on it paid the cost
of production, including interest on the
value OF the land. They also held that
an account should be kept with every
animal belonging to the farm. Thev
would ascertain the worth of the food
to each, and would carefully estimate
the gain in weight of the meat-produc-
ing animals, the value of the young
they raise, the worth of the milk given
By each cow, and the value of the flesh
taken from each sheep. By adopting
that course, it is claimed, the relative
value of each animalcan be determined.
BY referring to the written record it
may be seen which animals are profita-
bic to keep, and which should be dis
posed OF. It is held that remarkably
fine fiocks and herds may be built up in
that way. Some have gone so far as to
advocate keeping an account with every
hen in the poultry yard. 1t is. general
ly admitted that farmers are poor bust
ness men, and it is believed that a Judi
cious system of bookkeeping would i'm
prove their business habits aud render
their business more profitable. Several
systems of agricultural bookkeeping
have been proposed that would appear
w 6tuoWIl InO pun POoCs TAo AulO,
however, they have failed to give gem
eral satisfaction. The great majority
of farmers do not unders and how to
keep set of books, and those who do
not are not willing to take the time
required to learn. Some who have re-
ceiyed instructions in the science and
art of bookkeeping, declare that they
have no time to keep books during the
portions Of the year when there is the
most to do in the fields. Others COM
plain of the cost of the books required
for keeping farm accounts. and at the
great trouble in making the different en-
tries.
An expert accountant gives it as his
opinion that it is impracticable for
farmers to keep such a set of books as
will furnish the information desired
from them. He states that it is COM
paratively easy matter to keep accounts
for manufacturer or trader, but very
difficult one to keep them for farmers.
The manufacturer purchases materials
and employs laborers to work them up.
When the articles are made it is very
easy to estimate their cost. He sells
them for money, and the gain or loss in
the business is easily ascertained. The
trader simply buys and sells. The diff
erence between the purchase and selling
price constitutes his profit or loss. In
farming there is nothing like simple
manufacturing. Everything connected
with raising a crop is exceedingly com.
plicated. Most of the operations reach
over from one year to another. The
ground is often in preparation for a GER
tain crop several years. Afield is sown
to clover for the purpose of raising a
crop OF wheat two or three years hence.
Implements are purchased that may be
in use lifetime Land is underdrained,
not for Immediate effects, but with a
view to permanent improvements An
orchard is set out that may not produce
fruit for dozen years. None of the
operations of farmers resemble those of
the trader in being simply buving and
selling. 1t is true that the farmer often
buys and sells stock. But he generally
keeps and leeds the animals several
months before he disposes of them. 1t
is easy to find the difference between
the purchase and selling price, but quite
ulluCulb W 6SIlHldl0 sGuS COSb Va tuc Cal .
and feed during the time they are kept
on the place. A foreign agricultural
society recently offered a prize for the
best system of bookkeeping for farm
ers. Several systems were submitted,
but all of them were condemned as be-
ing quite too complicated. 1t therefore
recommended that farmers keep simply
diary and cash book; the first to con-
tain record of important occurrences
on the farm, as the time of seeding and
harvesting, and the second to contain
an account of all the purchases and
sales and all expenditures of money fol
every kind Of labor. - Chicago Times.