Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-07-12
THE oTHtR SIDE.
r,n~lSa Sor An EXACT SCIENCE.

A one sidesi discussion In regard Il
th. keeping of accounts by farmers hs
been going On A. long as agriculture
papers have been printed. Prom lat
number ot the Farmer ] copy the follow
ing:
ask the average farmer Ia show yo'
hls books; he hasn't any. Ask him hos
much any of hi. products cost him q
raise. aud he will reply, 4 don't know
haven't no account of only what TAX
In and pay out Nos this ls all srong
The farmer should be ~ competent q
tell what II costs him Ia produce n quar-
of milk. q bushel of potatoes, s tn
manufacturer Il to tell what u costs hin
To produce an article from the raw ma
tsrial. 4 farmer ought to know what U
costs him Ia produce bushei of corn,
doren % eggs or Ton Of hay, and ! he
lie,e that not one In ten can tell withif
- percent. daniel r. Devcll.
lie keeps only cash account ans
u.es very poor grammar. poor fellow
Iha,e harmed for over thirty year.
With fair success, and when ] begst
business I tried to work on business
principles and to know the cost OF m,
productions. The only result of my
bookkeeping Was that nothing appeAret
90 pay expenses. or the cost of the ssn'
article varied .o much from one year 70
another that I ssw no advantage In th'
uncertain inowieige thereby attained
I don't bother myself with anything ol
the .ort nov. and while freely ackno~l.
edge that don't know the exact cost oi
an egg, q quart Of milk or bushel of 20.
tatoe., I claim that the common sense al
the average farmer" IL sufficient io
enable him Ia determine whether he had
better attempt the raising of any or all
of them.
I claim that the most accurate ac-
countAnt eau not tell ~hs: q bu.heI oi
potaio~. will co.t him next summer OF
what II will .ell for. When zee can
iigur. out tbes. thing. Ia advance then
We shall know what and how much Ia
plant. when We -eii an article for low
price, an Indefinite notion that u didn't
paw expenses "a quite ss comfortable as
q kno~ledge that We have sustained :
lo.s of Just o. Per cent. have rs'.~i
iuo bushels % potsiocs per acre aud
soli thcm at s.DJ per barrel onc year,
and the next, With coalition. aud
growth It'll NOR, favorable, harvested
lr.. than lUD bushels and sold at a much
le.. price. Both crop aud market were
rulnei by rot. 4 week of dry weather
at a critical time will sometime. reiacr
the crop 20 Per cent. sometimes the
weather make. four or i've application.
~ rari. green n.crsssry to Mi the bugs
other time. once l. sufficient.
Under all these conditions aud the va
riations Of soil aud seasons, by what sys-
TEN of bookkeeping can anyone tell the
co.t of n hu.h.l of potatoes, sni what
effect will thst sscrrtained co.t have
upon the market or the selling pric"
The man Who clsim-i NOR, than tho
'golng pricc" for hi. crop becau.e oi
Ii. co.t, ~ould L. greeted by very
broad .milc by thc hucksier. of south
Market street.
I would ad,i.. kecplng a fairiy ac-
curste account of outgo-s aud incomes,
a daily Iournal ot farm oIeration. and
s,ent., together With facts or hints
which may - 81 value In the FUTURE
but not Ia waste Ink or patience seeking
to reduce farming to so exact science
that YOU can tell just th. cost of every
crop an tia, Ike the merchant ar manu-
fac;ur,r YOU can d.ciic ''on husine--
principles" what YOU eau or can't raise
profitsbly. New England Farmer.