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Show KEEPING THE FARM RECORDS Cash Accounts, Labor, Cost of Production Pro-duction of Various Crops and Live Stock Should Be Noted. (By V. L. MARTINEAU.) During the last three or four years the terms, "business of farming." has come into very common use in the newspapers, magazines, and in ordinary ordi-nary conversation. In fact, the public in general is beginning to realize that farming is a business. The sooner every farmer comes to this conclusion and applies business methods of management, man-agement, the better will be his chance for success. Thousands of farmers today realize that their farm business could be changed in many ways, thereby resulting result-ing in greater profit. These same men are anxious and willing to readjust their business; but a lack of trustworthy trust-worthy information as to what changes should be made is preventing this step of progress. Now that farming is recognized as a business, It is obvious that records of cash accounts, labor, cost of production produc-tion of the various crops, live stock, ' and any other feature tending toward better management should be kept in a fairly accurate way. A carefully kept record of the various phases of the farm business will make it possible pos-sible for every farmer to make intelligent intel-ligent adjustments whenever such changes are necessary. Without such a record losses due to mismanagement slip by unnoticed year after year, and the farmer becomes discouraged, blaming the business instead of its management. It is an uncommon thing to hear a farmer who keeps a system of farm accounting which he uses as a guide say that the business of farming is unprofitable. The time required for keeping such a record is a very small factor, just a matter of ten minutes per day, provided pro-vided the record sheets have been ruled and headed properly. If you are a farmer, resolve today to keep records. They will give you greater confidence in your business, help you to utilize labor and capital to better advantage, and they will always al-ways serve as your surest and safest guide in developing a more nearly perfect per-fect system of management. Making a Starting Point The farmers' club can be made the starting point for co-operative enter- ' prises. It can be used to secure the farmers the benefits that big business , Becures from doing things on a big scale. Many have the Idea that nothing noth-ing can be done unless there is a big organization. This is a mistake. The successful co-operative enterprises have come from small beginnings. Only Cotton to Sell. I Six nations, It Is reported, are now buying war supplies in the United States, most of which consist of food and arms, and about the only thing the South has to sell is cotton. Something , wreng! |