The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-05-15

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture)
Here is medley of familiar say
ings-SOme with variations-each of
which applies to farm accounting and
so to the problem Of marketing farm
products:
Figures don't lie"
"A calculation in time saves nine"
Foresight is better than hindsght"
1T pays to count the cost"
Specialists in the office of farm man.
agement. could add to this list almost
indefinitely, for their studies Of meth
DDS 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
swer such questions. Above all he
ought to know and yet frequently does
not know, if his farm as a whole
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 it recon,
mends require only such books as can
be purchased of a 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
One of these is a direct-entry system
requiring no preliminary books for
original entries, which later would
have to be posted or copied into per-
manent accounts.
From two to ten minutes day, in
yestigation shows, is all the time re-
auired in keeping books, according te
the simpler methods suggested by fed
eral specialists. This does not include
a day or two, possibly more, required
| at the end of the year to close up the
books and start new set. 1t is rec.
commended that the accounting year DC
started some time after the last croI
| is harvested in the fall and before the
| first crop operations are started II
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
| boo. but unnecessarily so. Many farm
ers keep careful accounts Throughout
the wear, but fail 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 dihcui
task as many think, and probably vii
not require more than four or fvt
hours-possibly only two hours-tt
complete.
The inventory should be a detailed
list of all items of farm property ant
tbe values thereof, including the farm
the farm buildings, the horses, the cat
flo and other live stock, machinery
tools. feed, produce, supplies, cash OF
hand and in the bank. amounts Out
from other persons and owed to othe
nersons. and the value Of grOWln'
crons. The latter is calculated o.
adding the value of labor ana mate
rails already spent on those crops.
The thing which the United STATE
department of agriculture emphasize
is the urgent need of keeping SOM
form of systematic accounts. III
o,ahorateness of the records will de
mend upon what the farmer wants Z
know and the time he has avaiiaDi
For keeping accounts The department
will be glad to suggest system whicl
will enable him to figure his incom
tax and ascertain what his farm as
whole is making. 1t can also susges
system which will enable him 10 de
termine approximate production cost
an his farm. For others. particular
owners Of very large farms, the az
nartment of agriculture is prepare
RI recommend a detailed cost account
ING system which may require IN
services of a bookkeeper. For tn