Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-08-16
MODERN FARMING.
Business Methods on the Farm.

A man doing business on an invested
capital Of 1000, or $4,000, or more,
who never took an inventory Of his stock
and who did not know whether any de-
partment Of his business was being run
at a profit or a loss, would have very
little credit in the business world, be-
cause the chances of his success would be
almost infinitesmal. Yet this is the way
that farmers are doing business.
II Is frequently asserted that the Amer
lean farmer makes more and wastes
more than any other farmer in the world.
The success that he achieves comes to
him as a sort of special dispensadon OF
Providence" in the way of bounteous
harvests due to the pristine fertility OF
the soil and favorable physical conditions,
rather than through his careful manage
ment.
The reasons usually given for the alb
sence of accounting systems on the farm
are the inconvenience of doing such
work when records must be kept in field,
dairy, poultry yard granary, barns and
house the difficulty in changing the
caliper Of ones fingers from the size de-
manded by the handle Of pitchfork TO
that of a lead pencil; the frequent neces-
sity of doing the work by lamplight after
a hard days labor; and natural dis
inclination for bookkeeping.
The farmer feels secure in his bed and
board: he can, If necessary, wear old
clothes; he can get credit at the local
bank or store. and therefore does not have
the incentive TO vigiant care in elimina-
ting waste that spurs other producers;
and the question Of profit or loss is fire.
qucntly neglected. There is no debiting
Of an interest charge on his investment;
no charge for his own labor nor that OF
his wife and children and team; no credit
for the home grown products used on the
farm. The cash balance at the end of the
t.11 oil hot 10 fn1 lie a
without an explained cause. In other
lines Of business cost-tag accompanies
each job to the printing office, or each
pair of shoes or other article throughout
the factory, and when the article Is COM
pleted the cost is known to the office.
How many farmers know the cost Of pro-
ducing any OF their crops, or the actual
manufacturing cost OF eggs or milk. or
stock.
The first thing to do in keeping farm
books is to take an inventory OF all stock
and utensils and household furnishings.
This is a tedious job; but once done, II
may be kept up 10 date by making addi-
tions and subtractions, and in case of
fire 1t will save the cost of its making,
for few people can recall from memory
all that they had in house or barn so as
u be able to make their full claim to the
insurance company.
Beyond the inventory are the separate
general accounts for stock, dairy, poultry,
household and crops. These may be kept
in separate books or in separate sections
of one large book
In each division the detailed accounts
should be preceded by a general descrip-
ton of the field, dairy equipment, poul-
try plant. etc, carrying this description
forward from year to year, as a contin-
uous record. For example, in the section
or book devoted to crops should be noted
the number or name given to the field,
the size in acres, the kind OF soil-sand,
clay, gravel or loam-and the general
condition. To this record should be added
the kind of crop raised the previous year.
the kind and amount of fertilizer used
the character of the blowing and harrow
ing, and the yield per acre II possible
add figures for these same items for the
two or three years preceding. This gen.
real record Of the plot, carried forward
and added from year to year, will be very
helpful in deciding the best treatment for
the field each season.
Following this description, the pages
one for each month Of the year-should
be ruled off into suitable columns. the
first TO contain the various items of eX-
pense to be charged against the crop.
These include labor OF men and horses,
subdivided to permit OF charging up
separately the cost of blowing, harrow
ing, hauling, marking, planting, spraying,
harvesting, etc, loads OF manure. COM
meTCldl Ierunzeri SEED, cnemlcalS used
for spraying, and any other items of ex-
pense, not forgetting the "fixt charges"
of interest and taxes.
After this first column Of items come
the 81 narrow columns for the days of the
month, in which the figures of cost are
entered under the proper dates, and a
column for totals.
For the second and all subsequent
months an extra column should be pro-
vided Immediately following the list of
items, in which the totals of the preced-
ing month, as brought forward, may be
entered.
For the last page the total cost will be
opposed by the total value OF the crop
which will include bushels marketed
held for seed, stored, kept for home use
and for stock and a balance struck which
will show the exact profit of the field and
indicate the cost of production.
1t is only through some such system
as this that the farmer can really be
certain whether he is making a profit or
a loss, and, If the latter, be able to de-
tect the leak and change to more modern
methods.-[The Circle.