The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-02-04
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FACTS FOR FARMERS.

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Farmers Should Have Continual and Exact
knowledge of Their Financial Standing.
Two things are absolutely necessary
If the farmer would know his financial
standing at the close of the year, says
w. f. Brown, in Our Orange Homes.
First, cash account be accurately
kept, and second, that at the close of
the year he take an inventory of all
property, including cash on hand, stock,
grain and hay, tools, etc, etc. This in
voice could be made in short time and
shonld be entered in the ledger and
preserved from year to year. SO as to
compare the different years together.
The best plan of keeping accounts |
believe to be to enter every dollar paid
out or received under the two headings
of expenses and receipts. Cary pocket
memorandum and pencil with you and
enter at the time every penny received
or paid, as you will never make your
account balance if you depend on MEM
DRY till night, and then try to put down
the items, l advise that the account be
kept in daybook, itemized, and SO
show just what the money was spent
for, as well as when it was paid out.
Paper is very cheap, and it not likely
that on many days of the year it will
take more than five or ten minutes to
put down the accousts for the day, and
it will pay to itemize thoroughly
If You have an open account at the
store or grocery, all produce sold to
them should be included in receipts,
and all goods bought as expense, but it
will be more accurate and less trouble
to make these entries when you settle.
Now, if at the end of the year you
wish TO find out what your money has
been paid out for, take a sheet of paper
and put down the different headings,
such as groceries, dry goods, stock,
feed, repairs, labor, implements mis-
cellaneous etc, and with some one to
help you call off the items, and
place them under their appro-
pirate heads. Arrange headings
also for receipts SO as to show just
what your income has been derived
from. These accounts, when thus
condensed and footed, should be trans
ferred to your ledger, and will occupy
but little space, several pages in the
day-book making less than half page
in the ledger.
When you have hand hired by the
month it will be necessary to open
separate account with him, and it will
CO.. va froohlo not 70 ap4a,. bic ,r,o.o, 49,
til his time expires, even though you
may pay him part or all of his wages
weekly or monthly. If part of his
wages is paid in farm produce, that, of
course, will be entered on the receipts
page and credited to the farm.
1t is quite possible that there may be
a better way to keep accounts, but
have never found one so easy, simple
and accurate. prefer keeping the two
accounts on separate pages rather than
on the same page with double ruling
as there is less liability of error or the
two accounts getting mixed up
An account kept in this way is
memorandum, and by referring to it
you will be able to know when a fence
was built, building put up or shingled,
or an animal bought. Keeping accounts
regularly every day will make man
more careful and business-ike in his
habits and will often save his paying an
account twice when he has paid some
small bill and failed to take receipt
would advise every farmer living near
a town that has bank, to open bank
account and pay as far as possible, by
check, as the check is of itself receipt