Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-07
BUSINESS OF THE FARM.
How Big Boys and Girls May Help
Things. Along.

| trips and remain away from home Tor
several days. If they are assured that
the farm will be managed properly
while they are away.
Here is where the young folks have
either the father or mother, or both,
talk of leaving the farm for few days
the big boy or girl Of the family, who
wishes to learn how the work Of man
aging affairs would seem, can offer to
take hold, run things and be response
BILE for everything during the absence
of the parents. Encourage your parents
to go visiting or make business trip
for a week and offer to take hold and
run things yourself. They will be
pleased if you make them feel that you
are able to manage. In case Of both
big boy and a big girl, both can offer
to assist in the management, the boy
looking after the live stock and field
crops, while the girl can look after the
house, the dairy and the poultry.
Now, when you are given chance to
manage the farm or a part Of it for a
full day or longer remembering how
things have been done, what ought to
be done each day and at different times
of the day, and keeping things moving
are the important things to think about
and look after. Keeping the eyes open
for details and little things will count
for most. Feeding and watering all Of
the animals every night and morning
may be the main work, while cultivat-
| ing or harvesting special crops may be
| important in some cases. Doors and
gates must be closed, wagons and i'm
plements sheltered, the dwelling and
| barn kept in good order and every
thing given it's just share Of attention
and nothing slighted. Extra precau-
ton should be taken to avoid fire, the
injury Of live stock, or the destruction
Of any property on the place. The
good manager is one who can produce
and at the same time avoid unneces-
sary loss. The good manager is able
to save as we'll as make. The ability
to save and stop wasteful leaks is one
quality that makes a manager valu
able.
But while your father and mother
are away for a few days you can show
your ability further than merely keep
ing things together while they are
gone. You can actually produce some
thing. In the case of the boy, he can
do some plowing, planting, harvesting,
fence building or whatever needs to be
done at the time on the place. If the
boy takes general good care of things,
and at the same time does something
extra and perhaps original, his parents
on returning can plainly see that he
has ability along original lines, and
they will place more confidence in him.
If the girl, besides preparing the meals,
keeping the house clean, feeding the
chickens, and milking the cows does
something new in the house or on the
grounds about the house, her mother
may know that she has native ability
in management The many things
which either the big boy or the big girl
can do of an original nature while the
parents are away from home are easily
planned and executed by one who is
willing to take hold and make an at
tempt at doing something. Think of
what either your father or mother has
wanted done for long time but could
not find the time to do it. Attempt
this work and try to do it even better
70 a..
in the allotted time. You will enjoy the
work immensely if your heart is in it,
and it will become a means Of starting
you on the right road in learning the
art of farm management, which also
means ability in the management of
other affairs. Working out your own
plans without aid is good training.
Big boys and girls Of the farm have
learned many things in school that
might be turned to good account in
the training for management. 1t would
be impossible here to name all the diff
ferent ways in which your special
knowledge and experience could be
used. A few only can be suggested.
One way in which any big boy or
girl on the farm can learn manage
ment, and at the same time perhaps
materially assist their parents, is in the
keeping Of set Of farm account books.
Some farmers keep careful accounts of
all their business transactions, while
others do not keep any kind of books.
If on your farm account books are
kept, you could offer your services to
do the work. If no books are kept, you
could offer to keep a set. In either case
the experience would be valuable train
ing and means Of applying your edu-
cation in a very practical way. Keep
ing farm accounts or set of farm
books is very interesting, instructive
and profitable work. The best farmers
are now keeping accounts, and the fu-
ture farm manager will be compelled to
not only keep full set Of books Of all
business, and other transactions, but an
account Of each crop, each field, the
live stock, dairy cows, poultry and in
fact, everything Of the farm that could
not be definitely explained here.
To those who have never studied
bookkeeping or have never kept set
of farm books 1 might say that a day
book and a ledger are all the books
that you will need for simple account |
ing. In the daybook you will enter all
sales and purchases for the different
days Of the year, making entries, with
the date for each day transactions are
made. a simple way to do this is to Sc
cure a daybook, with two ruled spaces
for dollars and cents on the right hand
of the page, with a ruled space for
dates on the left. In making the daily |
entry, place sales or money coming in
in the dollars and cents column to the |
extreme right hand of the page, and
things purchased or money spent in the
column to the immediate left of this on
the right hand side of the page. The
footing of each dollars and cents col
umn at the right, then, will give the
respective amounts or totals Of money
spent and the money taken in.
The ledger is the book in which sep