70a IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



CLASSIFICATION OF FARM PRODUCTS AND FEED. 



Entries of the value of all home-grown feeds consumed must be made 

 in the live-stock accounts. All the feed bought is charged in the financial 

 record book directly against the animals for which it was bought. If the 

 hog feed were to run out some day and a bag of cow feed were taken to 

 the hogs, the entries should be made in the financial record book just as 

 if the cows had sold this feed and the hogs had bought it. 



At the time of threshing or at the close of haying the total crop may 

 be entered as a memorandum on the credit side of the proper crop ac- 

 count, but the figures are not yet to be carried to the money column. 

 Estimates can be made with fair accuracy by measuring bins and hay- 

 mows or by counting the loads drawn and estimating the average weight. 

 The values will be entered when the product is sold or transferred to 

 the animals. When these crops are fed out, an estimate must be made 

 of the proportion fed to cows, horses, and other stock and these accounts 

 charged with the values thereof, credit being given the crops. The 

 quantity sold will be known from weighing bills or otherwise, and it 

 should be credited as a cash receipt. 



Whenever grain or hay is fed from the same bin or mow to two or 

 more classes of animals, a day's ration for each class of animals may be 

 weighed or measured once a month or oftener and the proper proportion 

 of the total feed, based on these weighings and the number of days fed, 

 charged to each class of stock. This method will give a reasonable degree 

 of accuracy if weights are taken fairly often. When cows and horses 

 are fed from separate haymows, there will be no difQculty in keeping 

 the feed separate. Where concentrates are purchased in large quantities 

 and fed to several classes of animals, a record may be kept in the feed 

 room of the number of sacks fed to each class of animals. 



CLASSIFICATION OF TROUBLESOME ITEMS. 



The entry of some items will be confusing to the beginner. Generally 

 common sense will straighten him out if he will ask himself "What ac- 

 count really deserves this credit?" or "What account really deserves this 

 charge?" 1 



The real estate and the machinery accounts usually puzzle the beginner 

 in keeping farm records. The former is more or less of a general ac- 

 count in this financial book and work record. All items for fencing, 

 ditching, improvements, repair of buildings, removal of old fences, new 

 buildings, taxes, and insurance should be charged to this account. ' Many 

 of these are somewhat permanent and are charges which the landlord 

 ordinarily pays on farms leased on share rental. This account shduld be 

 credited with any receipts from land rented out, old buildings sold, stone 

 sold, and other similar items. If any special improvement is made, such 

 as when a line of tile is laid, a building put up, or a silo built, one may 

 open a separate account with it, if so desired. When complete, the cost 

 should be figured and this amount charged against the real estate account 

 as an improvement. 



