CHAPTER III 



FIELD METHODS 



Making Chain Surveys. For many practical purposes a 

 survey made with the tape or chain alone will be quite 

 satisfactory. To make such a survey for area, the land 

 is divided into rectangles or triangles, or both. The areas 

 of any of these may be easily calculated when the length of 

 each side is known. 



Making Notes. In all surveys, all figures, notes, and 



sketches should be sys- 

 tematically recorded in a 

 suitable book, and these 

 go to make what is called 

 field notes. From these 

 notes the map is later 

 made and the areas cal- 

 culated. 



The most simple 

 method of making field 

 notes is to make a free- 

 hand sketch of the field 

 as nearly correct as the 

 eye can determine. All 

 corners should be designated by letters and the same 

 marked on the sketch, which is used as a guide. All 

 distances between corners should be recorded, not only 

 in the sketch, but also in suitable columns. The points 

 where fences, streams, and roads are crossed in measurement 

 should be noted on the sketch. If the tract surveyed is so 

 large that the sketch is likely to become confused, the entire 



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Fig. 6. A form for field notes. 



