The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-01-21
FARMERANDPLANTER
BOOKKEEPING ON THE FARM
The ProgreSsive Farmer Can Not
Get Along without u, the
other Kind May.

believe Emerson and Flint in TIT
Manual of Agriculture say The keep
ing OF accurate accounts is %indispensa.
Bile to complete success in farming
and | indOrse the the saying from
start TO finish. If a farmer does not
Keep an account of what he does the
fact is that he never knows whether
his business is profitable or not. He
might know whether he is richer now
than he was ten or fifteen years ago,
or whether he Is worth several hun
drrds and perhaps thousands of dollars
less. 1t may be with some that there
Is very little difference, They are Just
standing still and do not know which
branch of their business is keeping
them poor and which one is making
the living. Ii a little figuring had
been done the part which was making
the loss could have been dispensed
WIN, but the most of such farmers
do not know which one it is. and often
do away with the best one. A little
hSuring is often worth dollars to US.
Figure and keep account OF your hog
business, and if you lose money on
hogs and can not make anything at
the business, try something else. or
DO nothing. Keen @ book account, and
You Will always know these things.
Keep in a day-book or diary what is
lone each day, THIS only takes a
line or two for every day. | put down
the work | do, and any business trans.
action, or in other words this is my
diary, and everybody knows what a
diary is. | find it helpful in referring
to back dates many times. Besides
thlS 1 Keep a complete set of books
the simplest plan of bookkeeping.
lhese are small books ruled in differ
form as needed. The whole set
five cost only fifty cents, and will
last the average farmer several years.
farmer does not need to have those
.arge c~lothbound books. If he wishes
lie can get some Of the practical blanks
Fhich students use at the business col
eyes, or some of the smaller cloth
bound books which are not expensive.
Jpt no matter how much they cost.
'ou should keep an account in some
way. To just keep a list of transac-
ions in a small day-book IS better
han none at all, and it would be well
o carry a small book and pencil all
he time. Farmers have just as much
to look and act like business !
zen as anyone, for every farmer
mould be a business man. So keep an '
count Of your business. It is very
sSential that farmers keep an account !
I their business transactions, for they
see just how they stand financially I
/ a few minutes. and those who keep a
ooks stand better than those who do d
and by not keeping books thew 4
know which way or how bad
icy do stand. Deliver all things in
and weight, and put all things
writing that you givest out or re- O.
ivest in is what we find in the
ocleciastes xiii. I, and it is a wise
ca, Along this line it would he
tier If farmers would do a little
ore figuring. If you are going to ca
something which is new to W
figure well before you go into it. SC
o can figure on almost anything, he
d never figure too high. Always ar
'e good measure in figuring and al pa
v plenty for extras. | urge all farm kr
to keep some kind of an account It
their transactions. I am satisfied tn
it pays, and if you try it you will of
satisied.-E. J.. Waterstripe, in co
Zionist. tir