The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-03-06
The Cost of Crops.

LIEU SVoU VI SAVpos
No business enterprise can be intelli.
gently conducted without an accurate
knowledge of the original cost of its pro-
ducts or prime resources. The statement
applies with equal force to individual eff:
fort and corporate industry.
The successful merchant does moi
determine 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 transportation
and all other legitimate expenses. When
this sum is obtained, suitable per cent
is added to determine the paying price at
which the goods are to be sold. Manu-.
facturers pursue the same policy. Rail
roads 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. 1t is PROPOSE.
ton openly evident to any man of com.
mon intelligence that no business will
pay that does not add profit to the cosl
of its 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 oul
citizens. A shoemaker can tell you, al
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 intelligence 70 his business
before be puts price upon his services.
Indeed, in all the business relations Of
life ne expect profits to be demanded,
based upon the cost, except in, agricul-
ture. 1t is little singular that we never
expect farmer to know the cost of his
wheat, oats, potatoes, peas, corn or cotton.
May it not be that re are greatly def
cient in this particular? May it not be
that ne are giving our energies, our
years and our efforts to products without
particle Of profit, when there are splen.
did possibilities within our reach in other
crops?
This leads me to suggest the propriety
of change in the policy Of the farm.
When the farmer sells bushel of wheat,
barrel of potatoes or bale of cotton,
be ought to know exactly the profit he is
receiving. Many farmers object because
| the process of information is too long
continued. It begins with the prepara-
ton ofthe land and goes till harvesting
is over. This, is of course, an objection,
but not valid one.
To determine the cost of any farm
product it is only necessary to keep
regular books against the fields, as to
manure and labor expended in the pre-.
paration and cultivation of land, and the
gathering and marketing of crops. This
is not more tedious nor obiecting than
accounts kept against articles furnished
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 products and
possibly all Of them vary in every indi'
yidual instance. Ones man cultivate
much more intelligently and economi
calIy than another. One mans methods,
mauures, stock, food and help come to
him much more cheaply than another's
Que mans farm may be much better
adapted to certain crops than that Of
another. Ths seasons upon two farms
are not expected to be uniform in theil
benefits, however nearly adjacent the
farms, as they do not always find the
same crops in the same condition. Fol
these reasons, together with many others
it is plain to be seen that each farmer
must determine for himself the cost of hit
products.
This information upon the farm j:
important to determine the most econo
mical labor. In all these years of ex
pertinent not many farmers Of the South
can give accurately the difference il
hiring help for wages or for q part of the
crop, because they do not know the cos
of products under either method. 1t il
highly important that our products
should be grown at the least possible
cost, if ne make our efforts avail the mos
good. With this view every labor. saving
method should be applied until the cost
is reduced to the minimum.
What we greatly need upon our farms
is the same business methods that are
used in every other enterpriae--such
system as will let us know all the tims
what we are doing and what we ought tt
d.. Anything short of this brings US tt
q hazard life that takes its chances fol
many evils.-W. j. Northern in Southern
Culiivator.