The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-11-14

ditfonB. Current market prices should
 be carefully considefed In estimating
 the value of live stock.
 Although the Census merely re- ouires a statement of the total value of all implements and machinery, 1t is believed that classification of these items under the following heads will be found valuable:
 1. Vehicles: This class comprises
 automobiles. wagons, carriages and
 sieighs. and equipment used in con-
 nection with them. as harnesses. blan- kets. whips, etc.
 g. Heavy farm implements; com
 prising all implements and machinery | operated by any power other than | hand power, as blows, harrows. rol- | lers, reapers mowers, hay-loaders, | feed grinders, etc.
 2. Hand machinery and tools: in-
 cluding carpenters tools, hoes.
 shovels, scythes. forks. grind stones. flaming mills. etc.
 {. Miscellaneous articles; including all such minor equipment as kettles. ! pails. barrels. baskets. ladders. ropes. chains, etc. not included in the first | three classes.
 Many farmers greatly underestimate | the total value of their possessions of | this character when considering them In the aggregate. and 1t is only by pre- pairing an itemized list as suggested above that an accurate estimate of | their worth can be made. The value | assigned this class of property in the inventory should be the estimated amount 1t would bring at public l auction under favorable conditions. No special blanks or forms are necessary for preparing an inventory
 An ordinary notebook answers all pur-
 poses. but 1t should be large enough
 to admit of carrying the figures for at
 least five years in parallel columns. This facilitates comparison of the | figures for different years. Some may find it more convenient or desirable | to take stock on January 1, than on April 15. It will be a simple matter | to bring such an inventory up-to-date | when the Census enumerator calls. as it will only be necessary to take into account the changes that have taken place during the brief intervening period.
 Tn addition to taking an inventory of our national farm wealth. April f5. 1910. the Census will require from | every farm operator detailed report | of the quantity and value of all crops | and other products grown or pro- | duced on his farm during the present calendar year. that is. the year ending | December 31, 1909. A comparison of | these figures with the corresponding | figures for 1899 will be of great prac- | tical value to the agricultural inter- ests of the country. and will throw | light on many interesting questions. What progress has agricultural science made in ten years? Is the scientific work of the Department of Agriculture showing results? Are the
 improved grains and grasses so highly
 recommended by the department prov | ing productive and profitable? Are | the new fruits and vegetables develop
 ed at our experiment stations and fn- troduced from foreign countries becom- | ing of commercial importance? Is | the average fertility of our farms be- | ing increased by the highly exploited methods of crop rotation, by the more | general cultivation of clovers and l other legumes. or by the increased use
 of commercial fertilizers? These are | questions of importance in their bear | ing upon our national food supply. l The marked increase in the cost of living, which has been almost con- stant since 1899, Is attracting more att | tention than any other question now | before the people of this country. Many explanations, based on widely varying theories, are being offered.
 Some of them reflect seriously on the intelligence. industry and business methods of the American farmer, and
 assert that prosperity Is begetting in- dolence and wastefulness Others at-
 tribute the prevailing high range of prices chiefly to economic conditions Eentirely apart from agriculture. One FthinR Is certain: the farm statistics Fof the Census of 1910 are being await
 ed with intense interest, and will be
 studied and analysed and discussed as | ntrVsa n lfully realizes. this fact and Is sparing Eno effort or Expense to make the com ing farm census so complete and so Inaccurate that doubt cannot be thrown on any logical conclusion based on the published date.
 In addition to the importance of the
 farm census from the general economic | Standpoint, 1t should be remembered
 that the monthly estimate of crops and
 live stock made by the Department of Agriculture are all based on the census returnss and would quickly lose their significance unless periodically revised | in accordance with the census figures. | The value of trustworthy estimates Is fully appreciated by most farmers and 1t Is very desirable that they shall also
 appreciate the necessity of maintaining
 high degree of accuracy in those es- l timates If dangerous and misleading
 conclusions are to be avoided.
 Must Be Accurate.
 1 As in the case of farm wealth. the | accuracy of the Census figures for the
 year 1909 depends upon the accuracy of \ the information furnished by the farm 1 CTS. Those who keep no record what | ever of their farm operations will nat urally have difficulty in answering sat- l isfactorily many of the Census 'ques-
 tions regarding the crops and products l of 1909, especially so as the enumera- l tor will not call until nearly four months after the close of the crop l year. Farmers who keep records (not | necessarily books in the accounting sense) will be able to give the exact l figures required as rapidly as the emu merator can set them dNsSp.
 1 The advantages of keeTiAg accounts are so well understood by most farm CTS that any extended argument in fa-
 vor of the practice Is superfluous. l Highly desirable, but too much trou- ble" is the expression commonly heard l whenever farm accounts are mentioned. This attitude has been brought about largely by the experience of farm oper- ators with the more or less complicated account books sold by subscription and mail order book companies. The plausible agent. or alluring advertise | ment, sells the farmer a beautifully bound combination sales book, cash book, Journal and ledger with all mod | ern improvements and @ free book of | instructions thrown in. After a few
 days experience the customer concludes
 that he must either employ a force of
 accountants or else hire some one to
 run his farm while he takes an ad-