Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-05-14

Prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agrlculture.t
Here is medley Of familiar say
ings-some with varlations-each of
which applies to farm accounting and
SO to the problem Of marketing farm
products:
"Flgures don't lie"
"A calculation In time saves nine"
Foresight is better than hindslght,"
ut pays TO count the cost
Specialists In the office of farm man
sgement, could add to this list almost
indefinitely, for their studies of meth
eds Of farm management reveal the
tremendous need of accounting sys-
TENS on American farms. The farmer
wants to know whether his wheat pays.
whether his cows pay, and whether
his orchard pays, and yet he seldom
has sufficiently accurate figures to an
wer such questions. Above all he
ought to know and yet frequently does
not know, If his farm as whole
h paying proposition. Department
Of agriculture specialists do not claim
that the systems Of accounting for
farms which they recommend will be
absolutely exact. They are, neverthe-
less, sufficiently accurate for all ordi-
nary requirements The department
does not furnish sets of books TO farm
ers. The systems which 1t recon-
nends require only such books as can
be purchased of stationer or dealer
In books and school supplies.
No Special Training Required.
Practical working systems of ac-
counts which anyone may adopt with
out special study are recommended.
0ne of these Is a directentry system
requiring no preliminary books for
original entries, which later would
31ve 10 be posted or copied into per
nanent accounts.
From two to ten minutes day, In
yestigation shows is all the time re-
CURED In keeping books, according to
the simpler methods suggested by fed
sral specialists. This does not include
q day or two, possibly more, required
ct the end of the year to close up the
books and start new set 1t Is rec
buDended that the accounting year be
started some time after the last crop
s harvested In the fall and before the
krsi crop operations are started in
the spring. The beginning should be
made on the first day Of some month.
Inventory Highly Important.
To many the inventory required in
effective farm accounting is big buga
300. but unnecessarily so. Many farm
srs keep careful accounts throughout
the year, but fall to realize that they
are OF relatively little use, without the
Inventory, in showing the years in
come AS a matter of fact the taking |
Of the inventory is not such difficult
fnsk as many think, and probably will
not require more than four or five
Aours-possibly only two hOurs-to
complete.
The inventory should be a detailed |
INST of all items of farm property and |
the values thereof, including the farm, |
the farm buildings, the horses the cat
lie and other live stock, machinery, |
tools, feed, produce, supplies cash on
hand and In the bank, amounts due |
from other persons and owed to other
persons, and the value Of growing |
crops. The latter is calculated by |
adding the value of labor and mate
rials already spent on those crops.
The thing which the United States |
ssYartment of agriculture emphasizes
b the urgent need Of keeping some
sxn of systematic accounts. The
slaDOrateness of the records will de-
pend upOn what the farmer wants to
Know, and the time he has available |
Boz keeping accounts. The department
wln be glad to suggest system which
win enable him TO figure his income
INK and ascertain what his farm as a
whole Is making. 1t can also suggest
q system which will enable him to de-
sermine approximate production costs
20 his farm. For others, particularly
owners of very large farms, the de-
Partment of agriculture is prepared
10 recommend a detailed cost account
ing system which may require the
services OF bookkeeper. For the !