In business, the complex entry of Sundries Drs. to Sundries is studiously avoided by accountants. It is introduced in this place merely to show the learner how such entries may be posted.

As precision is one of the leading features of Book-Keeping, and the room in a Leger being always precious, it is of much consequence to confine every posting to a single line.

The book keeper, for his own convenience when he is posting, commonly marks all the accounts throughout a page of the Journal, with their different places in the Leger; and as he posts each account, he makes a point with his pen in

the Journal column: By this method he is less liable to Error, and makes more despatch, than if he had to examine the alphabet for each as he wants to post it.

In arranging the accounts in the Leger the same order is observed as in the Journal, except where accounts of a particular class, which are often referred to at the same time, are contiguously placed, to save the trouble of frequently turning to the Index. This method of classing accounts of the same description is found very convenient in business, but in the theory of Book-keeping it is more obvious and regular to follow the order of the Journal.

TO MAKE A TRIAL BALANCE.

When every account is posted from the Journal into the Leger, and as they will be on opposite or contrary sides, it is evident that the sums of the Dr. side will equal that of the Cr. side. This Trial or Check is generally made on a separate paper, and it may be performed every day, week, month or year, according to the extent of the business. The Titles of the Leger accounts are written under each other, with Dr. to the left, and Cr. to the right. Annexed to each, on its proper side, is set down the sum of every Dr. and Cr. and both sides will agree if the work be right, as in the following example from the cases on posting.

TO BALANCE THE LEGER.

When every transaction is entered into the Leger, and the work proved by a Trial Balance, the next thing is, to balance the Leger; that is, to make each account even through the whole book, in order to know the true state of your affairs. For this purpose, a new account is to be opened at the end by the Title of Balance. To the debit of this account will be brought all the money, goods, and other property belonging to you, and also the debts due to you, and on the credit will appear the debts you owe. Thus you have at one view the net of your estate; and the Profit and Loss Account, to which you bring all your commissions, gains, losses, expenses, &c. will show in like manner, your success in trade, since you began the present set of books; and by these two all the other accounts are balanced or made even.

In making the general balance, merchants seldom open a balance account in the Leger, but use a balance sheet, which is transcribed at the end of the Journal.

PARTNERSHIP ACCOUNTS.

It is thought that these are reducible to the same simple form, and are to be balanced in the same manner, as other individual accounts. Those who wish to attend more particularly to this part of Book-keeping, may consult Jackson's System, in which the Theory of Accounts is carried to great

extent.

On partnership accounts, Mr. Booth, a merchant, formerly of New-York, whose system is acknowledged in Great Britain to be the first English work, illustrative of the modern Italian method, thus remarks: "After a long and intimate acquaintance with the subject, after investigating partnership accounts under every form, and viewing them in every light, in which folly and ignorance could well have placed them, I never saw any difficulty in stating the joint concerns of a company, but what originated in the mistaken notion of the parties themselves. If merchants will not be careful to proceed in a regular line at first setting out, and keep a plain, simple narrative of their daily transactions, it can be no wonder that they so frequently get bewildered."