Nevada County picayune., 1890-03-19
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
COST OF CROPS.
Every Farmer should Keep Account Of
the Cost of All lie Raises

the Cost of All lie Raises.
No business enterprise can be intelli-
gently conducted without an accurate
knowledge Of the original cost OF its
products or prime resources This
statement applies with equal force to
individual efforts and corporate in
dus,ry.
The successful merchant docs not de-
ternine the selling price Of his goods
until be puts together the first cost, the
rent Of his building, hire Of clerks,
charges for insurance and transporea-
aon. 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
b. 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 70 business success. Farm
ing can never be made successful until
this policy Is adopted. Ii IS PROPOSE
ton openly evident 70 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. l dare
say, there Is less OF such information
among farmers than in any other class
Of our citizens. 4 shoemaker can tell
you. at once. the cost Of the leather. the
pegs and the thread. together with the
labor necessary 70 make pair OF shoes.
The blacksmith can tell you the cost
Of the iron, the nails and the work
necessary to shoe a horse. The
carpenter applies the same intelli-
genee to his business before he puts
price upon his services 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
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? Ny it not be that we
are giving our cncrglcs. our years and
our tltbE - 10 ItHt - y ALlI'ht q }4iI llt 10
u profit, when there are splendid posi-
bilitics within our reach in other crops?
This leads me 20 suggest the proprie-
tt Of a change in the policy Of the
farm. When the farmer sells bushel
# wheat. a barrel of potatoes or bale
Of cotton. he ought TO know exactly the
profit hc IS receiving. Many farmers
object because the process Of informa-
ton is TOO long continued. 1t begins
with the preparation Of the land and
goes till harvesting Is over. This is,
Of course, an objection, bat not a valid
one.
TO determine the cost Of any farm
product 1t j only necessary TO keep reg
ular books against the fields. as 70 ma
nare and labor expended in the prepare
on and cultivation Of land and the
gathering and marketing OF crops, This
IS not more tedious nor Objectionable
than accounts kept against articles fur
ni,hed 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 pound Of cotton for any other
farmer There are many elements
that enter into the cost of farm prod
nets, and possibly all of them vary
in every individual instance. One
nan cul'ivatcs much more intell-
Gently and economically than another.
ono mans methods manures. stock.
food and help come To him much more
rheaply than anothcr's ono mans farm
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