Ala}-, 1932) SURVEY OF FREAIONT AND BOSCAWEN 19 



condition. The base map of the southern part of town, which 

 ordinarily would be unnecessary, took another week. This town 

 could have been done commercialh' at a rate of 10 cents an acre. 



The cost of the Boscawen map was between 7 and 8 cents an 

 acre. The Tax Commission believes that this could be lowered to 

 5 cents in another survey under similar conditions. 



These seem to present the two extremes. Not onlv was the 

 propert}- situation in Fremont much worse than that in Boscawen, 

 but more was required. The land utilization data, and the attempt 

 to map anything- which would identif}^ the lines on the o-round both 

 took time. . There are so many factors which rna}' affect the cost 

 per acre that each town is a separate problem. In some of the 

 -northern towns Avhere ownerships usually follow the original layout, 

 where the average owner holds a comparatively large tract, where 

 the records are fairly complete and the topog-raphy not too rough, 

 five cents ma}' be too high. This is especially true of towns whose 

 lands are larg-eh' included in the National Forest.- On the other 

 hand very bad property tangles may raise the cost over ten cents. 



In another survey, we would recommend changing the form of 

 the card index system slightly. The main features would remain 

 the same, but it is suggested that a rough plan, at least, of the lot 

 should be drawn on the back of the card, Avhich would show features 

 given in .the deed, the card index numiiers of adjoining lots, the 

 acreage as closel}- as possible, and an}' other features which may be 

 desired, such as monuments, notes as to the type of land for assess- 

 .ment purposes, or buildings. Perhaps a copy of the map, blueprinted, 

 .could be cut up, and each lot pasted on the back of its index card to 

 .serve this purpose. Figure 2 illustrates a completed card. A 

 .separate index to the file by owners would make it easier to locate 

 individual lots. 



It is likely that some towns will be interested in making a map. 

 but will not feel in position to spend much money toward it at the 

 time. In such cases the Tax Commission recommends buying a 

 base map on which the lots can be plotted or sketched by residents 

 jr local surveyors. . This would preserve on paper much informa- 

 tion which might be lost before the more accurate map could be 

 undertaken. The cost of this map would certainly be made up in 

 saving: of time when the survey was made. . This cost, for a rnap 

 showing- roads, railroads, main streams, buildings and town lines 

 raised to the scale planned for the completed map, would be between 

 $25 and $50 for towns covered by fairly recent typographical maps 

 of the U. S. Geological Survey.. 



If the registry reference to deeds to each lot were written on this 

 sketch, and notes as to any other valuable information, such a map 

 would be still more worth while. 



It is estimated that it would take somewhat over $400,000 to map 

 the entire state of New Hampshire, with its 5,646,051 acres, accord- 

 ing to the method used in these two surveys- about 6-100 of 1% of 

 $625,000,000, the total valuation for the State. The more expensive 

 'i-nd the more valuable work would be in the southern, and especially 

 the southeastern section where the settlements are older and the 

 property divisions more irregular. 



