36 The Farmer's Business Handbook 



It has seemed best not to open a detailed ac- 

 count with Farm Household here, as it would in- 

 volve cumbersome details, and little would be 

 gained; since the forms and methods of keeping 

 it would be similar to those of teams, stock, and 

 the other accounts which start out with an in- 

 ventory charge. However, if it is thought best 

 to open such an account, the value of the board 

 of the proprietor, if he works on the farm, and 

 of such workmen as board in the family, should 

 be credited to Farm Household. On the other 

 hand, all expenses should be debited to Farm 

 Household or to Personal Expense account. But 

 in such a system we should be met with a mass 

 of petty details. The entries would be many: 

 goods for the home, board of guests, charities, 

 traveling expenses for pleasure or health, cloth- 

 ing bill, etc. 



If no detailed account is kept with Farm House- 

 hold, there may still be an account kept with Per- 

 sonal Expense, in which may be entered all expenses 

 incurred for the last three of the objects named 

 above. Often butter or eggs will be exchanged for 

 groceries. If the farmer wants to know exactly the 

 profit made from the dairy or from the poultry, 

 these items must be credited to live stock or to 

 the dairy, as the case may be; and since there is 

 both a debtor and a creditor in every transaction, 

 there must be some account kept with the debtor 



