Farm Book-keeping. 
51 
Live Stock Accounts. — The farmer should not be content 
with a “ Cattle Account ” and a “ Sheep Account ” and so on, 
for he will be unable thus to realise to the full the advantage 
of this system of book-keeping ; accounts should be opened 
for each of the different classes of Live Stock. Thus there 
will be : — 
Cattle Accounts. 1. Breeding Stock. 
2. Stores. 
3. Feeding Stock. 
Sheep Accounts. 1. Breeding Flock. 
2. Lambs. 
3. Feeding Sheep. 
And so on. 
Any of these can be subdivided to any desired extent. Thus, 
in the Cattle Accounts, separate accounts may be opened under 
the general heading of “ Feeding Stock ” for different lots of 
cattle put up to fatten, with the object of getting at the profit 
on each lot, or for comparing the economy of different food 
rations. Different breeds of cattle or sheep can have their own 
accounts — in fact, subdivision can be carried out to almost hny 
extent, care being taken at the same time to avoid useless 
labour and to have no accounts other than those which will 
impart information about the business. 
Having opened the necessary live stock accounts in the 
ledger each one must be debited with ( a ) the value of the 
stock at the beginning of the year and the cost of stock bought 
during the year falling under its particular heading. Each 
account must also be charged with its share of expenses such 
as ( b ) manual labour, (e) horse labour, (d) rent and rates and 
(e) establishment expenditure. Each account must further be 
charged with the keep of its stock such as (/) grazing, 
( g ) home-grown foods consumed and ( h ) purchased foods 
consumed. Lastly, each account must be debited with (i) 
tire value of the stock transferred to it from other accounts 
during the year, for it will be obvious that there must be 
a constant transference of stock from one account to another. 
Thus, when a calf is weaned, the breeding stock account is 
credited with its value, whilst the store stock account is debited. 
When heifers come into the herd or when steers are put 
up to fat, the store stock account is credited and either the 
breeding stock account or the feeding stock account is debited. 
Similarly with the sheep and pigs. 1 
On the other hand each live stock account must be credited 
with (a) the proceeds of stock sold, (6) the value of stock 
transferred to other accounts, (c) the value of the residues of 
1 Bulls, rams, and boars are, of course, charged to Breeding Stock Accounts. 
E 2 
