LAND SURVEYS 91 



Numbering of townships. Each tier of townships east 

 and west is numbered consecutively from the base line, the 

 direction from the base line being indicated after the num- 

 ber, the tier being designated as township. Each tier of 

 townships north and south is known as a range and is 

 numbered consecutively east and west from the principal 

 meridian, the direction from the principal meridian being 

 indicated after the number. For example, township 2 o north , 

 range 18 west, indicates that the location is 20 townships 

 north of the base line and 18 townships west of the principal 

 meridian. 



Sections. The division of the township into one-mile 

 tracts or sections is known as the subdivision of a township. 

 The sections are laid out by the method of beginning at the 

 southeast corner of the township and resurveying 1 mile 

 of the south line of the township, then running north 1 

 mile parallel to the east line of the township, then running 

 east on a random line to intersect the township or east 

 boundary of the section. When the location of the random 

 line with the section corner 1 mile north of the southeast 

 corner of the township is found, correction is made, and 

 the north line of the section is then established from east 

 to west. By the same method each additional section is 

 laid out until the north line of the township is reached. 

 In the extension of the west boundary of the section north, 

 each is 80 chains or 1 mile except the one which intersects 

 the north boundary of the township. It may be either 

 longer or shorter than 80 chains. Since this line is parallel 

 to the east boundary of the townships, the sections are all a 

 mile wide except the tier of sections next to the west town- 

 ship line, which may be more or less than 80 chains in width. 

 Owing to this system of laying out the sections, the north 

 and west tier of sections in each township may be more 

 than one mile square, but usually are less than a mile. 

 The south and east halves of these sections contain the 

 required acreage, but the north and west halves usually 



