The Brooksville Journal

RURAL COMMON SENSE.
(By Spuds Johnson)

FARMERS WHO KEEP RECORDS ARE ONES WHO BREAK RECORDS

At the beginning of the new year, it might be well for us farmers to consider the question of keeping records. Some one has said that record keeping farmers are record breaking farmers. In that case, we need more record breakers, for all too few farmers keep all kinds and kinds of records. In this connection I am reminded of what an agricultural economist at the Experiment Station has said. Here it is: "Start on January 1 to keeping records of receipts and expenses. The keeping of records alone, of course, will not increase profits, but the records will furnish the means for studying the farm business from past experience and for seeing ways of cutting down expenses here and increasing receipts there which will, in the end, increase returns. The benefit from keeping records on the farm is no idle dream. I have had opportunity to observe the business improvement on farms where continuous records are kept for a period of years. Furthermore, much more enjoyment will result from farm life where increased interest in the work is brought about through record keeping." Looks like after hearing all that, we might just as well get on the band wagon and start keeping records during 1929—not only start, but keep it up. The thing that bothers most of us is finding out how to keep records intelligently. I have received some little booklets from the Experiment Station at Gainesville which have been a big help to me in keeping records. These booklets, all of which come free, have the following titles: A Method for Taking a Farm Inventory. A Method for Keeping a Cash Account on the Farm. Method for Keeping an Account With a Crop. Method for Keeping an Account With a Dairy Cow Herd. I would like to see a great many other farmers get some of these booklets right away and start keeping records for 1929.