132 AGRICULTURE 



occupations, industry, intelligence, energy, and system. A 

 manufacturer knows to a fraction of a cent what profit he is mak- 

 ing on every bolt of cloth that his mill produces. If he finds that 

 he is working at a loss, he increases his selling price, cuts down 

 wages, or closes his mill. 



Farming is a business in which more money is invested than in 

 manufacturing or any other industry in the United States. Does 

 a farmer know at what price he can afford to sell wheat and 

 tobacco, or pork and beef, unless he knows what it cost him to 

 raise them? Can he -tell what crop is most profitable unless he 

 knows, in each case, the cost of production as well as the selling 

 price ? 



Keeping Accounts. He should keep accounts as carefully as 

 does the manufacturer. He should make a record of the cost of 

 each crop, labor of man, team, and tools, quantity, composition, 

 and cost of fertilizers, yield, and selling price. He should keep 

 account of all his live stock, value of food, and returns in meat, 

 milk, wool, and other products. 



Increasing Profits. Like the manufacturer, he must change 

 his methods if he finds that he is working at a loss. If he cannot 

 sell a product for a paying price or cut down cost so as to make it 

 profitable, he should stop raising it. Profits can often be increased 

 by foresight and good judgment in planting, cultivating, and 

 marketing crops so as to improve their quality or to get them on 

 the market at a favorable time. It is usually more profitable to 

 sell, instead of raw products, articles made from raw products, 

 that is, to sell wool instead of hay, milk or butter instead of fodder. 



Reducing Expenses. By studying and applying the principles 

 underlying the feeding of plants and animals, a farmer can reduce 

 the cost of crop production and stock raising. This reduction, of 

 course, increases his profits. 



