LAND SURVEYS 97 



search should be made for it. The records will indicate 

 the nature of the original corner. Digging should not be 

 attempted until this information is available. Digging should 

 be done with a spade. A slice not over an inch thick should 

 be cut by the method of passing the blade of the spade parallel 

 to the surface. As each layer of the earth is removed, the 

 uncovered surface should be carefully inspected for indi- 

 cations of the corner. Frequently rotten wood, iron rust, 

 or evidence of a pit or hole in the ground will be the only 

 indication of the corner. Great care should be exercised 

 not to destroy these evidences by careless digging or deep 

 cuts. 



According to court decisions surveyors have no more 

 authority than any other persons to determine boundaries 

 and corners. Their judgment and experience will assist 

 them in studying the records, measuring old lines, and iden- 

 tifying the original corner when found. In case the original 

 corner cannot be identified, it should be replaced by dupli- 

 cation of the old survey as nearly as may be practicable, 

 and a new corner should be placed where the measurement 

 would indicate that the old corner stood. 



Corners as evidence. In the locating of a tract of land, 

 corners that can be identified on the ground control regard- 

 less of bearing or distance. Distance is better evidence 

 than bearing. Areas can be used only as a last resort and 

 have little weight in the determination of boundaries. 

 Corners and lines identified on the ground are better evi- 

 dence than plats or written descriptions. A great many 

 court decisions have been rendered relating to disputed 

 land lines. These decisions usually are based on the actual 

 proof of what has been considered as the boundary rather 

 than on surveys that have been made by surveyors who 

 are unfamiliar with the locality or who have not been able 

 to identify the original lines and corners. A long-established 

 fence that has been accepted and regarded as the line is 

 better evidence of the actual boundary than a survey 



