I remember The Old Farmer requisitioning the dining room table
for several days each tax season.
Working a trade and being a farmer was no doubt complicated,
what with the government paying you not to grow wheat and figuring the acres
and yield and costs involved and the gas for the tractor...
Gas, now that was interesting...there was an old gravity fed tank
at the back of the driveway circle. You would crank it up 'til it stopped
and then reverse the direction and let it flow down, each cycle was one gallon of gas.
The Old Farmer kept a log of how much gas he pumped every time
in a Half & Half tobacco tin kept under the tank.
Of course I didn't know it then, but I suppose that had something to do with taxes.
Evenings when figuring taxes were frustrating The Old Farmer
and there were occassional exclaimations, we were warned to play quietly
and especially not to bother "anyone" with questions. LoL.
I guess some things never change!
2 comments:
I think the tax aspect was that the gas was for off-road use in the John Deere tractor. Any gas that was used in the car had to be recorded as it needed to be taxed. When he purchased the gas from the supplier he paid the off-road price which was considerably cheaper than the road use price. Hence the record keeping. Knowing him as I did I am sure that he scrupulously recorded every gallon that was used in a car. I can remember when we came to visit that he would fill our car before we left to get us started on the trip home!
Yes, indeed. Thanks for the clarification. I know the Old Farmer kept ever gallon pumped in that little log book!
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