The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-03-18
What Constitutes Farm Profit.

There is no little difference of
opinion among farmers as to wheth-
er their business is profitable. or
two men conducting agricultural
operations on similar scale, under
like circumstances and with ap-
proximately the same results and
same expense, one will declare him
self quite well satisfied with the
outcome, while the other will aver
that he is losing money. There
must be a reason for this difference,
AMI it is a matter of interest to dis
co"er where it lies. There is mis-
apprehension on the part of some
body-and who is it that is mista-
ken?
The way in which the question of
profit or loss is settled in the minds
of many farmers turns on the stand
point from which they view it One
San views his products item by
item and decides whether he is
gaining or losing by the measure of
prices compared with each other
] from season to season. For in
stance wheat did not seem 10 be
hi-hly profitable at one dollar and
when it comes to taking eighty
ceats for it why Of course it don't
pay. He received SIX cents for his
hogs not great while ago, and
aoW that he is getting only three
cents he expresses no doubt what
,ver that he is in sing business.
As to whether he actually takes in
more money on the farm than he
lays out he does not stop 10 con-
siler-but he knows that wheat
don't pay, end hogs don't pay, and
cattle feeding don't pay, and there
is nothing in his farming
Another man, tesid, keeping
track of each individual kind OF
produce or stock grown, keeps an
eye to the aggregate outcome Of the
~holc. lie places the entire outlay
~ Iha farm in the ysGr ggainst the
total income and available ma ket-
.nIe stuff he may have on hand and
ircidrs whether lie Is gaining or
losing according to which Of the
two columns shows the larger foot
ing. Any margin left in the aggre-
| gate he sets down as profit and he
rightfully regards that as his gain
Turing the year. And this certainly
is the true principle.
| The profit of the farm caa he
nothing more nor less than its sur
plus. After the expenses of con
iucting the farm have, been paid,
the family living has been secured
and the necessary repairs and needs
OF the premises have been attended
TO, everything that is left of the
Years products is just that much of
a dividend on the farPer's bust
ness. No one thing may nave seem
ed to pay, taken alone;, but, not
outstanding this, if everything is
paid foo the farmer is ahead by ex
actlY what is left after payment is
.nade-th can be no other way of
it. Even if thirty cent wool, and
eighty cent wheat, and four cent
cattle and fifteen cent butter have
been the products sold, each one of
which is FuipOpsly low, yet every
dollar left after the growing Of all
these is paid for makes the farmer
better off than he was before. That
man only loses money in farming
who, when the years business is
over and his products are sold, hnds
himself more deeply in debt than
when the year began. And it mat
tiers not how high prices may be if
there is 70 surplus left after pro-
! duetion is paid for theIe is no pro
1T. Though this is a post incon-
petent exposition of the subject, we
believe the profit at which it aims is
the only true solution of the prob
lem of profit and loss on the farm.