698 THE HOME, FARM AND BUSINESS CYCLOPAEDIA. 



wholly unnecessary work. Excepting at. the end of the year, when we 

 close all accounts except those which represent Resources arid Liabilities. 

 we never close an account " To Balance" or " By Balance" until the page 

 is full, and we wish to transfer the account to a new page (see 308) ; or, 

 unless an account with a person be discontinued, and then, as this 

 account balances, we simply rule the closing lines, and enter the totals 

 between these lines. 



322. It is also unnecessary work to rule Ledger headings, although 

 the Ledger looks a little better thereby, and it might be done when the 

 book-keeper has plenty of spare time. When we do not rule Ledger 

 headings for the accounts opened below the top ruling, we simply writa 

 the name of the account over the centre ruling, and proceed on the next 

 line below with the entries. Some Ledgers are ruled for one, two, tin 

 and four accounts to the page ; but it is better to have one common full- 

 page ruling through the entire book, since by so doing we economize in 

 Ledger paper, and have all the accounts together. When we open an 

 account, we must calculate about how much space it may require, and 

 allow so much space before opening another on the same page. Some 

 accounts require several pages, while others require but a few lines. 



327. Petty Accounts. We sometimes sell small bills of goods on 

 account to city customers to persons who seldom buy of us except for 

 cash. Not wishing to open an account with such persons, we enter all 

 such names under a Ledger heading in the Ledger called " Petty Ac- 

 counts." By so doing, the account takes up one line only. These accounts 

 need not be indexed, but instead we simply index " Petty Accounts ;" 

 and anvthimj we do not find in the index we will understand is to be 



v O 



found in the " Petty Accounts." We keep these Petty Accounts in the 

 following manner : Under this title in the Ledger we post the entries 

 thus : When we charge a person, we make the entry on the debit side of 

 the Ledger writing first the date, next the person's name, then the 

 Journal page, then the amount. W T hen he pays this account, we write 

 on the same line, on the credit side of the Ledger, opposite his name, the 

 date, page, and amount. (See 736 to 740.) 



328. Index Arrangement of the Ledger Accounts. On opening a 

 new Ledger in a wholesale business, it proves a great convenience to 

 arrange the accounts alphabetically according to the towns leaving, after 

 each town or city, a few blank pages for the new customers we may get, 

 or the extension of the old accounts. When we arrange the Ledger in 

 this way it greatly facilitates posting, since we write the name of the 

 city or town on the outer margin of the top of the page, and by knowing 



