St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-03-04
FARMER AND PLANTER.
BOOKKEEPING ON THE FARM
The Progressive Farmer Can Not
Get Along without 1t, the
Other Kind May.

believe Emerson and Flint in The
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
drsds and perhaps thousands of dollars
less. 1t may pc 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 little figuring had
been done the part which was making
the loss could have been dispensed
with, but the most OF such farmers
do not know which one it is, and often
co away with the best one. A little
figuring 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. Keep a book account, and
you will always know these things. |
keep in day-book or diary what is
done each day. This only takes a
line or two for every day. l 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. l find it helpful in referring
to back dates many times. Besides
this I keep complete set Of books
on the simplest plan Of bookkeeping.
These are small books ruled in differ
ent form as needed. The whole set
Of five cost only fifty cents, and will
last the average farmer several years.
A farmer does not need to have those
large clothbound books. If he wishes
he can set some of the practical blanks
which students use at the business col
leges, or some of the smaller cloth
bound books which are not expensive,
but no matter how much they cost,
you should keep an account in some
way. To just keep list of transac-
tons in small day book is better
than none at all, and it would be we'll
to carry a small book and pencil all
the time. Farmers have just as much
right to look and act like business
men as anyone. for every farmer
should be business man. So keep an
account of your business. 1t is very
essential that farmers keep an account
of their business transactions, for they
can see just how they stand financially
in few minutes, and those who keep
books stand better than those who do
not, and by not keeping books they
hardly know which way or how bad
they do stand Deliver all things in
number and weight, and put all things
in writing that you givest out or re-
ceiyest in is what we find in the
Eccleciastes xiii, I, and it is wise
idea Along this line it would be
better if farmers would do little
more figuring. If you are going to
something which is new to
you, figure well before you go into it
We can figure on almost anything,
and never figure too high. Always
give good measure in figuring and al
low plenty for extras. / urge all farm
ers to keep some kind of an account
OF their transactions. l am satisfied
that it pays, and if you try it you will
be satisfed.-E. ]. Waterstripe, in
Epitomist.