Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1891-07-16
BUSINESS IN FARMING.

One sees so much on this subject
in the agricultural papers of to- day
as to almost make him sick, and
yet there is great deal in it
entirely worthy If discussion. We
have published about all the points
made by our well-lnformed cotem-
poraries, and ON this account have
rather dropped the matter, but
now and then the story is told in
a new kind of way, and then we
hitch on again for a little further
pull, One of these new kind of
ways comes through late Issue of
the New England Farmer, and so
we are again in the traces to the
extent of a short article.
The Farmer says the man who
knows how to turn a good turrow,
to properly prepare the soil for
seed, to stop the growth of weeds
and promote the growth of plants,
[ knows lots about farming; but his
knowledge stops here Is far short
of knowing enough to insure the
best success. 1t used to be said
that any fool could be a fa.m er,
but at the present day people be-
gin to realize that the farmer needs
the most education. TIE time has
gone by when the hapbazard, slip
shod, go-as-you-please methods of
| farming can be made to pay.
What would be thought of the
manufacturer who did not know
to a fraction of cent the cost of
the raw material and labor put in
yard of cloth, or the leather
worker who did not know the ex-
act cost of the materials of labor
required to make q case of boots or
shoes, and so on? The thought
would be that such manufacturer
stood in very fair way to get
left. Farming necessarily travels
the same kind of business road,
and yet how many farmers can tell
the cost of pound of butter or
pork, bushel of potatoes or corn,
a bale of cotton, barrel of rice or
ton of hay? They sell their pro-
ducts for what they are offered,
not knowing whether they are
making or losing.
The remedy is this: When far
mers come to realize that farming
is business as much as manufac-
turing or banking, or. buying and
selling goods, and by a careful
keeping of accounts learn to figure
the cost of every article they pro-
duce, then successful beginning
Will have been made. Let them
keep debit and credit with every
acre of corn or potatoes or cotton
or grain.
Charge each acre with interest
on its value, and with the probable
amount of all necessary OUTLAWS in
producing crop. Credit the
operations with the market value
Of the crop produced. The differ
ence between the two sides will
show at a glance what is being
done, and it il. the only means of
sure as to whether the
business is one of profit or of loss.
There is no denying the fact
that very many farmers are in sad
need of more business education.
There must be bookkeeping. It
need not be any particularly COM
form of bookkeeping, but
it should be bookkeeping of some
kind that will enable the farmer to
see exactly what he is doing.
Bookkeeping on the farm is really
something indispensable. The
farmer who keeps a book can al
ways refer to 1t for date of sales or
purchases, and prices received or
paid. Such a book will solve the
great problem: "Where does our
money go to-" and perchance lead
% a more careful consideration
ind economy.
Having learned to calculate the
;ost of the products of the farm,
he next business is,to learn how
@ sell them. Make a study of the
markets, and learn for yourself
he price of those things you wish
o sell. If you cannot fix your
'wn prices, you can at least pre-
7ent being taken advantage of by
Inscriptions traders.