The Red Cloud chief., 1884-10-24

n. the same tme comprehensive. sys-
TEN Of bookkeeping for the uDe 81
tarme-.. II is often stated th0e harm
ers are the only elias, Of peoT!s 10 are
engaged in n bu. ness employing = o n
siderable amount 81 capital who do no.
keep a set of books. IL - = rule IN
the Bankrupt courts in most countries
that no trader who does no; keep n set
Of books can obtain his discharge. IL
this rule Was applied TO farmers none
al them. however unfortunate in bush
ness. world apply TO a commission
in bankruptcy to be released fr'm his
obligations on making over his proper
-. 4 farmer generally carrie, his ac-
count. in his head. Ills balance sheet
ut the end Of the veal in his pocket
book. II he has no outstand n notes.
no .sor. bills or o.her obligations but \
cons derable sum OF monet in hs rock
II. he naturally concludes that his labor
and capital have been prpiitab'y EN-
ployei during the year. IL. however.
he has no casn. and is repeatedly asked
Ia nav debts contracted during the year,
he ascertains without applying to an
expert accountant that he has teen los
ing money inste I'd III making any IL
asked at the close Of a prosperous sea-
son which department of farming or
stock-raisiDg has teen the most prCilta-
bic he is not able 10 answer. III he
started in the business Of farming with
considerable capital invested IN land.
stock and tools. and. after a series 81
wears. is obliged 10 sell on in order To
meet the demands of his creditors. he
would lind il difficult To give a very
satisfactory reason for his failure. re"
farmer, can give such an ccoun oil
their gains or losses a would be oil any
great value to one who was 10
engage in the business Of farming. |e-y
few can tell with n considerable de-
gree of what kind o. crops or
what class Of live stock has paid best
during u series Of years.
Ii is claimed that farmers have more
need to keep books than traders and
manufacturers have, because their bus!-
ness is more complicated. Some have
held that an account should be- kept
with every ii.id. 4 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. The
would ascer. ain the worth of the food
to each. and would carefully estimate
the gain in weight of the meat-prodIc-
ing animals. the value Of the young
they raise. the worth of the milk given
b. each COW, and the value Of the flesh
IL. -.. .a.L t, R- nAn,f nv
that course. il is claimed. the relative
value of each animal can be determined.
Bv referring 10 the written record it
may be seen which animals are proii.a-
BILE to keep, and which should be dis
posed o. 1t is held that remarkably
line ilocks and herds may be built up in
that way. Some have gone so far as 20
advocate keeping an account W tn every
hen in the poultry yard. 1t is general
lv a United that farmers are poor bu>l-
ness men, and it is believed that n Judi
cious system Of bookkeeping would m
prove their business habits aud render
their business more profitable. Several
systems of agricultural bookkeeping
have been proposed that would appear
t. answer the purpose. As q rule,
however. they have failed to give gen
eral satisfaction. The great majority
OF farmers do not unders and how TO
keep n set of books, and those who do
not are not willing t. take the lime
required to learn. Some who have re-
ccived Instructions in the science and
art of bookkeeping, declare that thev
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
Ior keeping farm accounts. and at the
great trouble in making the ditferen, en-
tries.
An expert accountant gives ii as his
opinion that it is impracticable for
farmers TO keep such n set of books as
will furnish the information desired
from them. He states that il is I CDm-
parativcly easy matter to keep accornts
for a Manufactured or trader. but a very
difficult one TO keep them for farmers.
The manufacturer purchases materials
and employs laborerS to work them mp.
When the arti les are made it is very
easy to estimate their cost. He sells
thcm for money. and the gain o. loss in
The business is easily ascertained. The
trader simply buys and sells. The dit
erence between the purchase and selling
price constitutes his profit or loss. In
farming there is nothing like simple
manufacturing. Everything connected
with raising = crop is exceedingly com
plicatcd. Most Of the operations reach
owe from one year TO another. The
ground is often in preparation for a GER
tain crop several years. Afield is sown
10 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 q
view to permanent improvements. An
orchard is set out that may not produce
fruit for a 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 AMI sells stock. But he generally
keeps and feeds the animals several
months before he disposes Of them. 1t
is easy to find the difference between
the purchase and selling price, but quite
difficult TO estimate the cost OF the care
and feed during the time they are kept
on the place. A foreign agricultural
society recently Tered a prize for the
hes: system of bookkeeping for farm
crs. Several systems were submitted.
but all of them were condemned rs be-
ing quite too complicated. 1t therefore
recommended that farmers keep simply
n diary and cash-book; the first to con
tain 4 record OF important occurrences
On the farm. a the time OF seeding and
harvesting. and the second Ia contain
m account of all the purchases and
sales AMI all ~expendilu es of money for