“USEFUL PROJECTS. 
corre@ly posted, as to the amount 
thereof, but also if it be rightly 
entered to the debit or credit of its 
proper account. This examination 
differs from the modes that have 
heretofore been practised, as well 
in expedition as in the certain ac- 
curacy which attends the process ; 
it being only necessary to cast up 
the colemns through the ledger 
debits and credits, according to 
the examples given, and. the 
amount of those columns, if right, 
must agree with the columns in 
the day-bock for the same corres- 
ponding space of. time.. These 
castings should take place once a 
menth, and, if the amounis do net 
agree, the posting must then, but 
not else, be called-over; and 
when the time, whether it be.one, 
two, three, or four menths, that 
is allotted to each column of the 
ledger, is expired, the amount of 
each column should be put at the 
bottom of the first page, and car- 
ried forward to the bottom of the 
next; and so on to the end of the 
zecounts ; taking care that the 
amount in the day-book, of each 
month’s transa€ticns, be. brought 
into one gross amount for the sume 
time. But, although this process 
must proye that the ledger contains 
the whole contents of the day-book, 
and neither more nor less, yet it is 
not complete without the mode of 
ascertaining if each entry be posted 
to its right account, which may be 
ascertained by the following me- 
thod, IL have laid down a rule 
that a letter, which may be used 
alphabetically in any form or shape 
that is agreeable, shall be affixed 
toveach account in the ledger, and 
the same letter prefixed to the 
names in the alphabet, thgse let. 
Gc: 
- 
[447 
ters being used as marks of posting, 
and afaxed to each account in the 
day -book as it is posted ; it is only 
necessary therefore to compare and 
see that the jetter affixed to each 
entry in the day-book is the same 
as is prefixed to the same name in 
the alphabet; a difference here 
shews of course an error, or else 1t 
must be right. At theend of the 
year, or. at any other time, when- 
persons balance their accounts, if 
there be no obje&ion to the profits 
of the trade appearing in the 
books, the stock of goods on hand 
at prime cost may be entezed in 
the day-book, either the. value in 
one amount, or the particulars, 
specified, as may be most expedi« 
ent, and an account opened tur it 
in the ledger, to the debit of 
which it must be posted. The 
casting up of the ledger must the 
be completed, and when found to 
agree with the day-bock, and the 
amount placed at the bottom of, 
each column, subtract the credits: 
from the debits, end it will shew 
tho profit of the trade; unless the 
credits be the greater amount, 
which willshew a loss. In taking 
off the balances of the ledger, ong 
rule must be observed, and it can. 
not be done wrong; as_you pro.. 
ceed, first sze the difference be. 
tween the whole amounts of: the. 
credits and debits on cach page far 
the year, with which the difference 
of the outstanding balances .of the. 
several accounts on each page must 
exa@tly agree, or the balances will 
not be taken right. By this means. 
every page will be proved as. yqu. 
proceed, and the balances of ten 
thousand ledgers, on this plany_ 
could not unobservedly be taken 
of wrong, In witness whereof, &c, 
ro Ascounk 
