Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1919 — FINANCING THE FARM ON THE BUDGET PLAN [ARTICLE]

FINANCING THE FARM ON THE BUDGET PLAN

War Savings Organization Gives Tiller of Soil System on Which to Increase Capital for Future. Farming nowadays justly is recognized as a business aud a profession. As a profession it is prepared for as carefully as any other branch of highly specialized endeavor; as a business it is conducted according to business methods and upon a businesslike basis. Old-time “hit or miss” farming methods fall utterly under the present economic regime. The first step toward businesslike farm management consists of systematizing farm finances. Because farm moneys come in irregularly they have been handled too often in the past without any adequate accounts or record. This method, rendered impossible by Income tax necessities, long has been scorned by the successful, progressive farmer who believes tn modern machinery, modern comforts, modern efficiency practices and projects. Such a farmer employs a farm budget just as he employs grain, soil and weather statistics in the arrangement of his farm operations, takes a good farm journal and demands fine and well-tested seeds. Because not every farmer cares to spend time making out an individual tarm budget governmental experts, working through the War Savings Stamps department of the War Loan Organization, Seventh Federal Reserve district, have provided for the use of every farmer who cares to employ them farm records, Including account sheets, that render the keeping of farm accounts a simple task. One page of the simple pamphlet containing the indicated records is devoted to receipts, its opposite to expenditures, each registered every day of the year. Milk, butter, poultry, eggs, cattle and hogs, sheep, oats, corn, hay, fruit, vegetables and miscellaneous—these are the headings under which the Irregular or recurrent sources of income are listed. Total income for each day Is shown at the right of the page, monthly total, collective and for separate items, at the foot. The expenditures page, similarly arranged, shows headings of: Savings, including War Savings Stamps purchased,, bank deposits, etc.; labor; food, including groceries nnd meat; clothing; repairs; blacksmith; machinery; rent, insurance and taxes; live stock and feed; buildings; literalure, which Includes books, magazines and newspapers; recreation; and miscellaneous. Again, dally totals are shown at the right of the page, monthly totals, itemized and general, at the foot.- Companion pages, similarly arranged, show yearly summaries, almost instantaneously computed, of receipts and expenditures for the year. War Savings Stamps make ideal investments for the farmer. Purchasable for sums ranging from $4 and a few odd pennies to SI,OOO, built up by means of Thrift Stamps, should this prove more convenient, they are nondepreciable, nonfluctuating, incomebearing and distinguished by high rate of maturity Interest. Previous to maturity they may be redeemed, if necessary, at precise face value.