Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-05-19

TIME department Of agriculture
in putting out a system Of
farm bookkeeping emphasizes
the Importance Of the farmer
conducting his farm on businesslike
basis. Farming is business. the
same as banking or running depart
ment store the department states. 1t
Is business which involves the pro-
duction and sale OF several kinds of
products.
The problem Of the farmer Is 10 meet
conditions on his own farm in a way
which gives him the greatest net re-
turns for his labor and the use Of his
capital. He should receive interest on
his capital as we'll as wages for his
labor; but. owing to the lack Of proper
records. few farmers know what wages
they actually receive. There is reason
to believe that the majority Of the six
and half million farmers Of the coun-
try are really living on the interest Of
their investments rather than on the
profits Of their farms.
Farm bookkeeping does not require
that the account be kept in a particu-
lar form or upon certain side Of the
page. but it is a logical selection and
arrangement Of farm data to permit
correct Interpretation.
|. The difficulties Of farm bookkeeping
are generally overestimated. Complex
forms and methods do not always
mean successful farm accounting, for
sometimes few pages Of well selected
records are Of more practical value
than volumes of figures. Inasmuch as
the farm business and the home are
practically inseparable. personal and
household accounts are needed to bal
ance the books. Both Of these accounts
are best handled by grouping the items
as much as possible.
A complete inventory is the first and
most important step in starting the &C.
counts. The determination Of proper
values is matter Of good judgment.
aided by study Of current market
prices. The cash transactions on a
farm may Be kept in several ways, but
entering the items directly In their re-
spective accounts appears to be one Of
the most satisfactory methods.
A thorough understanding of what
constitutes farm receipts and expenses
is necessary; otherwise the profit Of
the farm is seldom figured correctly.
A farm Is combination of enterprises,
and study OF each enterprise in its
relation to the others is of the utmost
i'm rt hn IN
BILE crop to grow. oats an Improbable
one. Records OF the separate farm en-
terprises will show the facts in each
case.
Labor distribution records are sci.
dom kept by farmers, yet such rec
ords are in many respects equally as
important as the cash account A
good bank balance is often the result
of the efficient use of farm labor.
Crops which are grown as a profit
may by being fell to poor class Of
live stock have this profit turned into
loss. Live stock records, although
not SO easy to keep as those on crops,
ore often more useful to the fdfmer.
1t is poor policy to lose by injudicious
feeding the profits ON the crops grown.
Live stock production records are a
guide to the qualities Of animals kept
Good accounts are within the reach
Of every farmer. The few minutes
regularly spent on them will yield lar
g"r returns than an equal amount Of
time devoted to farm work, provided
proper use is made of the Information
the records contain.