UNITED STATES PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS DO 



thirty-six square miles or 23,040 acres, neglecting the nar- 

 rowing effect of the convergence of the meridians. These 

 relations are indicated clearly in the diagrams. 



As the township lines are run, corner marks are left each 

 mile, and the township is divided into thirty-six sections by 

 beginning on the south side at each mile mark and running 

 north, marking each mile or section corner, also each half 

 mile or quarter-section corner. At the north end these 

 lines are made to close on the mile marks left in surveying 

 the north line of the township, with the exception of those 

 on a standard parallel. Here the section lines are run 

 straight out to the parallel, which thus serves as a "cor- 

 rection-line" for the sections as well as for the townships. 



s 



SECTIONS IN A TOWNSHIP 



SUBDIVISION OF A SECTION 



The east and west section lines are run between corre- 

 sponding corners on the north and south lines, always 

 marking the half-mile or quarter-section point. The 

 effect on area of convergence of meridians is localized in 

 the case of sections, in the first place by chaining the 

 latitudinal township lines always from the east end, thus 

 confining any deficiency of width to the westerly board 

 of sections; in the second place by running the north and 

 south lines not due north exactly, but with a westerly 

 bearing sufficient at one, two, three, four, and five miles 

 from the east line to keep them at equal distances apart 

 throughout their length. Short area is thus confined to 



