Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-02-10

ment school in Douglas township on
February 4th., While most of the
thoughts are from memory, the fig
ures are accurate and will perhaps
convey the thought to the unfortu-
nate farmers who were unable to at
tend the meeting.
Farm Management Defined
Farm management is keeping a
record of the farm business or, as
Mr.. Walker, instructor of the school,
stated it is better defined as the
keeping of business record of the
farm. The school was for the pur-
pose of instructing farmers how to
keep this simple record of his bust
ness, and after the record is kept,
to make a complete analysis of his
business, to make good credit sheet
for the purpose of securing loans and
getting the business in shape to
make an accurate return for the in
come tax.
| The Farm Record
1t is generally agreed that the av-
erage farmer does not keep any
| books and depends wholly upon his
bank book and check stubs for his
| business record. At this meeting,
figures were taken from a central
Iowa farmer and put in this simple
| farm record book This particular
book is one of the most simple farm
record books and has the stamp of
approval of the Internal Revenue
| Commission on its cover. A new
feature and one that will prove. as
you will see, valuable one. Above
all things, this record hasn't fea-
ture about it which is complicated
and especially after you go over one
record.
Credit Statement.
The book contains blank for
credit statement, showing farmers
net worth. This sheet may be used
to great advantage when applying
for loan. Many leading bankers
are of the opinion that it is a mighty
substantial statement and may be
used to great advantage when apply
ing for a loan.
Analysis of Your Farm Business
There is a page for measuring the
farm business or completely anal
yzing it. Each feature of your farm
ing business is placed by the side Of
the average OF several hundred good
Iowa farmers for comparison. These
| figures bear few moments of study
in comparison. You will have the
opportunity to find the leaks in your
business, thus giving you a chance
to improve your farming operation.
The WeIl-Balanced Farm
A well balanced farm depends up
on four, factors: Size of business;
crop yield and acreage; efficiency of
! livestock returns, and efficiency and
use of labor. Size of business takes
into consideration the total capital
investment. 1t was proved by sever
al hundred farmses over a period OF
years that the most paying farms
had a total Investment of $4,000 to
$4,000. The, most profitable size
of farm proved to be from 200 TO
$50 acres, with 1875 acres of corn
crop. The amount of labor which
could be efficiently used and pro-
duces the greatest returns is be
tween "a and 80 months per year.
The amount of livestock proved to be
from so to 80 head (The livestock
/ unit might be defined as a unit
equivalent to one steer, which means
hogs, sheep or 100 chickens is
tQulNdleHl " oHe sIcSr, VI 10 lN0-
stock unit.)
Crop Yield Per Acre.
Corn yield on these good farms
were from As to 60 bushels per acre.
oats As to so, barley 80 to 35. wheat
20 to 80, hay Q to 2A tons.
Livestock Returns
The returns on 500 worth of feed
given to livestock varied from $40
to $3.50. The per cent of receipts
from livestock was from 20 to $50
1t might be said that the determin-
ing factor from the livestock returns
depends upon the quality of stock
and the farmers ability in livestock
management. While some at the
meeting questioned the Iowa farmers
getting $40 to $3.50 returns for
800 worth of feed fed to livestock,
they did not keep in mind that this
operation was taken for a period of
seven years.
Efficiency and Use of Labor
The number of acres of crop per
man on these farms varied from 80
to 100 acres, while the livestock
units per man were between 80 and
40 with the crop acres per horse 20
q
of seven years average $2500 per
year, the per cent of return on in
vestment was 10h per cent. AS
stated before the above figures were
taken from severaf hundred farms
over period of years which make
them thoroughly accurate. These
figures might be called standard,
and are the ones which are put in the
column beside the farmers own fig
ures for analysis. This standard
makes it simple for farmer to COM
pare his own business and discover
his leaks. The record kept at this
school shows that this particular
central Iowa FARMERS record when
analysed, they had a well-balanced
farm, except that he is low in the
livestock returns. The number of
months of useful, efficient labor was
too small and he kept too many
horses for the number of acres he
had in crop. This analysis would
show to this farmer that his quality
of stock was poor or that his meth
DDS of livestock management was in
efficient and that he could use more
labor, If efficiently directed and that
he should get rid of some horses in
order to get the greatest returns
possible from this farm.
Income Tax
This book is so compiled that II
your years business is closed up, II
takes only a few moments to file
your income tax returns. There is
one page which takes the place OF
the 1910 +, which the farmer has
been required to use as the attached
sheet to his income tax return. This
sheet in the book Is made up by for
warding figures from the pages In
the record hook The transaction Is