Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1874 — Farm Accounts. [ARTICLE]

Farm Accounts.

There are few farmers who know what their yearly balances are, simply because they do not give attention to the very important matter of keeping farm accounts. 8o long as moderate profits are returned for the lhbor and expense of conducting the farm it is not an affair df vital importance, it is true, to be able to state the precise figures of the annual gain, but it would seem to be a source of considerable. satisfaction to have the accounts so made up that these deductions may be made whenever the knowledge is desired. There Is, however, in this business of keeping farm accounts a very important consideration, which strangely enough seems to escape observation —although it affects the profits very much. Habit governs more or less the course adopted on every farm. Now it happens that many men engaged in mixed farming have one or more branches conducted at a loss, and, lacking the figures which should reveal the whole truth, they go on from year to year throwing away time and labor which might be saved for better uses. There are many farmers on the high lands of this State who raise fair crops of corn which costs more per bushel to produce than the average price in the market. On the score of convenience this might be admissable, but let us suppose that the short crops on their fields are due to lack of proper qualities in the soil or to climate, and that all the requirements for grass are fully met, and this is a condition existing on a great many larms. An accurate account of all the cost of producing, storing and marketing the grass would often show enough profit to buy all the corn needed for farm use. Clearly enough that would be better than to raise corn on those lands where every bushel gathered represents an expenditure of labor sufficient to buy a bushel and a half when applied to the production of grass. It is poor economy to expend labor in any business without a reasonable prospect, for the mere pleasure of the exertion. Yat there are farmers who continue to raise year after year crops which are not remunerative, because they do not know what they are doing. They do not count cost. All lands are more especially adapted to some kinds of useful production than to other kinds; usually embracing enough of variety to make a profitable course. The first study should be to find what are the right crops to attempt, taking as the basis of judgment the tried capabilities rather than the inclinations of the tiller. Having settled this matter the next thing is to apply labor in that line with the best intelligence, preserving such a record of all cost that the efforts expended through the |season .shall a ithe close stand mapped out on the one side for inspection and comparison in value with the returns on the other side. Whoever does this, and at the proper time gives careful thought to the facts thus preserved, will inevitably grow wiser in his business, and as certainly lead to profits if there are any profits for him. He will find himself working for the best results attainable, and if in his case he verifies the stale saying, “ farming does not pay,” he may safely conclude that he has not the requisites for success, either in himself or in his land As to the plea that he can find no time to keep bis accounts, there is no truth in it. It is on a par with the other folly into which he falls when he cannot find time to eat or sleep. Let him remember that one wiser than he long ago declared, with the truth of inspiration, that there is a time for every purpose under the sun. This keeping of accounts liej at the very foundation of successful business, whether it be agricultural, commercial, mechanical or whatever else in the way of legitimate industry. True, it may not be an elaborate system of books, it may even be in rare cases without any books, but in some there must be the accounts preserved, and the mere full and complete the better for all purposes. How to keep a farm may be a study, but with a fair degree of intelligence it is an easy task to master. Let us take, by way of illustration, the case wherein he is supposed to lose in raising corn, and see how it is very easy to find the truth. The cost of preparation can easily be entered among the items which go to make up the cost. Labor has a market value. The field is debtor to so many days at that market value. So with all the time spent in cultivation and harvesting. Then if manures have been used a fair estimate of value can be made, and besides an estimate of the proportion of its value appropriated by the crop. If something be left over to the permanent improve ment of the land, or for the substance of crops which follow, that, of course, should be deducted, the remainder being charged in the cost of the corn, —A like course with all the items which enter into the cost, from the seed to the shelled product, gives him all the data on the one side. On the other he has marked rates to decide the value. There need be no trouble nor need the problem be complicated by the interest element unless the farmer be curious to see how that will effect the outcome. The fruth is, having obtained pay for all fiis labor at market rates and for every other substance which he has expended in production, ths surplus goes to represent profit on his investment or interest on his lands, as he may please to put it, unless, unfortunately, there be no surplus, in which case he must decide for himself whether to attempt corn again or not. There is profit in good farming, and if it cannot be found in one branch something else may be tried. What is important is to have such knowledge as the record supplies in order to be able to decide when to drop a second crop: Anything short of this is not intelligent farming. With it new fields of enterprise are constantly opening, and embarrassments to success are easily avoided. The increasing interest in agricultural affairs must depend for its permanence greatly, upon the basis of figures, and we therefore offer the suggestion to Fanners’ Clubs, Granges, and other organized educational bodies that they ; make these figures important basis for ; all farm practices. — The Husbandman. The State of Maine sold a large lot of ! its timber lands at auction the other day. About 140,000 acres were disposed of at ! prices ranging from 33 cents to'sl.3o per acre, and the right to cut timber and ! grass upon about 200,000 acres more was sold at from 27J cents to $1.75 per acre, j The total amount realized was about $150,000.