Nevada County picayune., 1890-04-30
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
COST OF CROPS.
Every Farmer Should Keep Account of
 fine Coat of All He Raises.

No business enterprise can be intelli- gently conducted without an accurate knowledge of the original cost of it's products or prime resources This statement applies with equal force to individual efforts and corporate in- dustry.
 The successful merchant does not de- termine the selling price of his goods until he puts together the first cost, the rent of his building, hire of clerks, charges for insurance and transporta- ton, and all other legitimate expenses. When this sum is obtained. a suitable per cent. is added, to determine the paying price at which the goods are to be sold. Manufacturers pursue the same policy. Railroads count the cost of construction and all needed repairs, together with current expenses for business, wear and tear and accidents, before it will be possible to know the proper charges in freight and passenger rates. All this is legitimate and essential to business success. Farm ing can never be made successful until this policy is adopted. It is proposi- tion openly evident to any man of com mon intelligence, that no business will pay that does not add profit to the cost of it's products.
 It becomes every man to know all the minor details of his business. I dare say, there is less of such information among farmers than in any other class of our citizens. A shoemaker can tell you, at once, the cost of the leather, the pegs and the thread, together with the labor necessary to make pair of shoes The blacksmith can tell you the cost of the iron, the nails and the work necessary to shoe horse. The carpenter applies the same intelli- gence to his business before he puts price upon his servlces. Indeed, in all the business relations of life we ex- pect profits to be demanded, based upon the cost, except in agriculture. It is little singular that we never expect a farmer to know the cost of his wheat, oats, potatoes, peas, corn or cotton. May it not be that we are greatly deficient in this particular? My it not be that we are giving our energles, our years and our efforts to products without particle of profit, when there are splendid possi bilities within our reach in other crops?
 This leads me to suggest the proprie ty of change in the policy of the farm. When the farmer sells bushel of wheat, barrel of potatoes or bale of cotton, he ought to know exactly the profit he is receiving. Many farmers object because the process of informa- ton is too long continued. It begins ,,-ith m of hn la nI ,pA goes till harvesting is over. This is, of course, an objection, but not valid one.
 To determine the cost of any farm product 1t is only necessary to keep reg. ular books against the fields, as to ma nure and labor expended in the prepara- ton and cultivation of land and the gathering and marketing of crops. This is not more tedious nor objectionable than accounts kept against articles fur nished the hired help on the farm.
 These facts, to be accurate, must be determined by the individual farmer. No one farmer can settle the cost of making a pound of cotton for any other farmer There are many elements that enter into the cost of farm prod ucts, and possibly all of them vary in every individual instance. One nan cultivates much more intelli- gently and economically than ano Ter. One mans methods, manures, stock, food and help come to him much moro cheaply than another's. One mans farm may be much better adapted to certain crops than that of another The sea-
 ons upon two farms are not expected to he uniform in thc'r benefits, however noagly adjacent the farms, as they do not always find the same crops in the same condition. For these reasons, to- gether with many others, it is plain to be seen that each farmer must deter mine for himself the cost of his prod ucts.
 This information, upon the farm, is
 important to determine the most eco lomical labor. In All these years of experiment. not many farmers at the South can give accurately the differ ence in hiring help for wages or for part of the crop, because they do not know tho cost of products under either method. It is highly im- portant that our products should be grown at the least possible cost, if we make our efforts avail the most good. With this view every labor-saving method should he applied until the cost reduced to the minimum.
 What we greatly need upon our farms is the same business methods that are used in every other entcrprisc-such a system as will let us know, all the time, what we are doing end what we ought to do. Any thing short of this brings IS to haphazard life that takes it's chances for many evils.-W. J. Northen, in southern Cultiyator.