The Nevada County picayune., 1908-11-19
Farmers Educational
 -ANH- o-Operative Union Of America
Can Farmers Afford to Fiaure?

Many IarmeTS seem 10 nave dread of figures in connection with the busi. ness of sheir farms. They seem to think that farming that is measured BY figures, won't pan out. but if they go it bl,nd" they will get through fin some way. Is this true? Is it a safe plan to rely on?
 How long would a merchant. banker, manufacturer or other business man stay in business if he worked on such & plan as that? He would soon he unable to know where he was at" He would not know whether he was on the road to success or to failure. And the probability is that he would not remain in business very long.
 But business men work on a differ ent plan. They figure and keep ac- counts They know the cost of each particular article or transaction and by means of this knowledge are able to know what particular items of their business bring i'll the profit and why others do not pay. Then they can cut out the unprofitable transactions or change plans in such a way as to bring profit out of what has been un- profitable.
 Now why cant farmer apply the same principles to his business? Why can't he figure up the cost on every article he produces then say Cost plus profit equals selling price" If we could do that we could hope to be successful in maintaining fair and stable prices on our products. Some farmers do figure carefully and keep accounts correctly. And when they do they are sure to learn that consider able part of the business of the aver age farmer fails below cost instead of giving the farmer a profit. Then when they learn where the drain is, the next step is to stop it and do only those things on which they can realize . profit.
 In order for farmers as class to become business men and thus be able to protect their rights, it is necessary for all or most of them to keep accounts carefully.
 Every time a farmer produces and markets a crop of grain hay or any thing else he ought to know exactly how many days work was devoted to it, and what each days work is worth no matter whether the work is done by himself and family or by hired help. Then he ought to figure care fully not only the first cost of imple- ments, harness, etc, but also the natural wear and tear as well as amout paid for repairs and the time spent in going to the shop.
 "Oh," says someone, farmer must not count his time or he will get left sure. Oh my brother there is where you are wrong If you are not making wages for your time in addition to all of your expenses you had better quit farming and hunt an other job.
 A farmer ought to keep an account with each particular field and know not only the cost of labor and imple- ments used on it, but also the value of fertilizers applied, and as near as possible, the amount of fertility drawn from the soil by the crop pro duced on it. Because when We reduce the fertility of our farms we are like a business man who makes a draw on his capital Many farmers imagine they are increasing their wealth, when in reality they are only tranSierrlhs so much from the value of thelr tarm 10 their pocket or their bank account
 Again carefully kept figures Tn the dairy department of our farming "lh often show us that one COW yields handsome profit while another does not pay for her feed.
 In such cases the careful farmer will dispose of the poor COW and take all the better care of the good one
 Some flocks of chickens pay well while others do not pay expenses II we would carefully figure the vaiue of what they eat and what they waste The remedy should be to either quit the chicken business or use better care in the management of our HOOKS anu their surroundings
 And thus 1t is throughout lohs list of the different departments ol our business Farming IS conip,i cated business and requires not ohiy brain and brawn but real pusihes' management.
 Brother and sister farmers let us take up all of these matters m the local union paper and discuss them in a way that will result Tn erea'e, pleasure and profit to ourselves anu families.
 Desoto, III. w. p'