UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



% BULLETIN No. 811 



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Contribution from the Bureau of Market? 

 George Livingston, Acting Cliief 



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Washington, D. C. 



December 5, 1919 



A SYSTEM OF BOOKKEEPING FOR GRAIN 

 ELEVATORS/ 



By B. B. Mason, Assistant in Market Business Practice; Frank Robotka, Field 

 Agent in Market Bitsiness Practice, cooperating with the College of Agriculture of the 

 University of Miimesota; and A. V. Swarthout, Investigator in Market Biisiness 

 Practice. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Types of elevator accounting systems 2 



Description of the system and directions for 



its operation 3 



Grain receiving and shipping records 3 



Other grain records 6 



Cash Journal and Purchase and Sales Record 6 



Reports : Grain, Merchandise, and Manager's 10 



Ledgers 11 



Classification of General Ledger accounts 12 



Trial Balance 31 



Closing the books 31 



Balance Sheet 35 



Income and Expense Statement 37 



Cost Analysis 40 



Balancing cash with bank 40 



Supply accounts settled with grain 41 



Conclusions 41 



Forms and illustrated entries 43 



INTRODUCTION. 



The close relationship between business success and efficient 

 accounting is recognized by all who are familiar with commercial 

 affairs. The accounting and business practices of marketing enter- 

 prises located at country points present relatively difficult problems, 

 because of three facts: First, these enterprises have grown rapidly; 

 second, it is difficult to secure managers who are proficient in book- 

 keeping; and, third, the volume of business of the individual organ- 

 izations, in most cases, does not warrant the employment of a skilled 

 bookkeeper. 



The general adoption of a uniform system of accounting sufficiently 

 elastic to meet the requirements of organizations operating under 

 varied conditions is believed to be not only practicable, but essential, 



I This bulletin supersedes United States Department of Agriculture Bulletin 362: A System of ac- 

 counts for Primary Grain Elevators, by John R. Humphrey, Assistant in Market Business Practice, and 

 W. H. Kerr, Investigator in Market Business Practice. 



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