St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-04-29
|The GaIednniam.
DOES FARMING PAY.

This is a question that is being very
/ bitten asked but seldom answered to
'the entire satisfaction of the inquirer.
Farming pays or fails to pay accord
ing to the amount of skill, industry
md prudence of the operator. OF
.fOurse no small business can yield as
large a gross income as one in which
are judiciously made, yet
II small business may pay larger per
.tent of profit on the amount of capital
Invested than a larger business.
Il The reason why the question so
'often asked, Does farming pay is not
more satisfactorily answered is, we be-
Believe, because those engaged in
EARNING do not as a rule keep any
.sbrt of an account with their business
Nat will enable them to show beyond
Sfspute whether their business is pay
.ihg or not, or if paying at all, how
such it is paying.
If the New England Farmer could
~ any means induce all farm owners
ID New England to begin system of
accounts with their farms the present
'seasOn, and = carry such accounts
through the year in an Ineligible
manner, so that the question so many
ire asking could be definitely settled
30 far as each individual case is con-
&erned, it would have accomplished
plOst cOmmendable work. Almost
avery spring for the past ten or fifteen
hears, the Farmer has urged the i'm
*SOrtance of this work, yet so far as we
stRn learn, but very few comparatively
IF the farmers of New England have
formed the habit of keeping book ac-
kOunts with their business. Many
Neglect the undertaking because they
consider it IA difficult thing to do. But
a is very simple matter indeed to
&ake an annual account of stock on
land and to record the income and
Ehsh expenses as they occur from day
Ia day through the year. No expen-
we sets of books are needed, nor any
<omp licated system of double entry.
EFe should only ask each farmer to- put
III black and white what he would like
ID carry in his mind were it possible to
Arry it.
1t is no indication that farm does
tbt pay because the farmer uses up
II e income of the land to support his
mily. Neither mill operatives nor
|Eners are sure to have surplus left
81 the end of their year Of toll or
&bxiety, yet because of this it will not
- to say that running a mill or work
'ag in a mill does not pay. Farming
Certainly pays, but few of us can show
IL our books just how much it pays
"a. Let the Ist of April see the be-
Ginning of IN attempt to know exactly,
n at least approximately, how much
<pr farms and farm operations are ac
Daily worth to us.
We believe that a great many farm
lis and farmers wives would he bet
Id satisfied with their vocation if
hey could know for certainty just
Ehat income the farm is bringing into
e family, that they might the better
.pmpaTe their situation with others
.hgaged in other pursuits. When the
Armer gives his farm credit for house
knt, fuel, carriage hire, all kinds of
Bod, such us meat, poultry, eggs, milk,
bitter, fruits, grains and vegetables
Consumed or given away to friends,
ld takes account of all the days or
hrts of days when he is not actually
Engaged in productive labor, he will
bid that it would require a higher
Alary TO carry him through the year
an he had calculated, Do not again |
Ill farming poor business till you can
hOw 10y accurately kept books just
|bw poorly it has been with YOU
New England Farmer.