These "plots" of land are called sections. They are nominally 640 acres. These lines called "section lines" are commonly roads. They are part of the PLSS or Public Land Survey System originally proposed by Jefferson to change the way surveys were done in the Louisiana Purchase Territory as opposed to the M&B or metes and bounds system used in the colonial states following English systems of survey.
Marion Moon ------ Original Message ------ Received: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:21:48 AM PDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>Cc: Subject: [USMA:39205] RE: Pure SI for area in UK? In the USA if you are on a long flight from the East Coast or Chicago to the West Coast, and if the weather is clear, you can look down as you pass over flyover country (Iowa, Nebraska, etc.) and see lots of plots of land, 1 mi on a side, that were laid out in the 1800's. cm -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Stephen Humphreys" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Indeed I might have been slightly misleading there. > I did not mean to suggest each strip is an acre but rather each field or > piece of farm land will be multiples of acres. This is simply down to the > boundaries (fences, planted trees) never being replanted just to make it > "not an acre". It's simply historical. If you know a farmer or landowner > you can ask if he (she) has ever replanted the boundaries to make it into > hectares or multiples thereof. > > And I get your point about acres sometimes being synonymous with fields > hence saying such as "it covered 100's of acres" being a description of a > large area rather than an accurate measure > > > >From: "Martin Vlietstra" > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To: "U.S. Metric Association" > >Subject: [USMA:39194] RE: Pure SI for area in UK? > >Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:50:33 +0100 > > > >Steve, > > > >A few points to ponder on. > > > >The word "acre" is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "field". In > >fact the German word for "field" is "akker". The churchyard is often known > >as "God's Acre", not because it is 4840 square yards, but because it is a > >"field". > > > >Secondly, the fields that you see from the air that are neatly divided by > >hedgerows are not "acres" - the traces of the original acres that can be > >seen sometimes are shown on ordinance survey maps as "medieval strips" (or > >words to that effect. > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > >Of Stephen Humphreys > >Sent: 26 July 2007 13:16 > >To: U.S. Metric Association > >Subject: [USMA:39191] RE: Pure SI for area in UK? > > > >I believe it's 22 x 220 yds. > > > >As you approach the UK from the air you can see land carved up into > >multiple > > > >of acres - I guess from older times when it was linked to how much you > >could > > > >plough in a day! > > > > > > >From: "Michael Payne" > > >Reply-To: "Michael Payne" > > >To: , "U.S. Metric Association" > > > > > >Subject: Re: [USMA:39155] RE: Pure SI for area in UK? > > >Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:57:46 +0000 > > > > > >I've found that most people have no idea what an acre is either. Turns > >out > > >it's an area for which no one has any idea of the size. > > > > > >Mike Payne > > >----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Humphreys" > > > > > >To: "U.S. Metric Association" > > >Sent: Monday, 23 July 2007 09:25 > > >Subject: [USMA:39155] RE: Pure SI for area in UK? > > > > > > > > >> > > >>I don't think that many people will know what a hectare is in the UK as > > >>output usually talks of acres. Similarly estate agents talk about area > >in > > > > >>terms of acres although I have seen bracketed ha quoted after sometimes > >to > > > > >>a ridiculous acuracy (as if someone got the calculator out). This BBC > > >>page is odd that it uses only ha (they usually quote the two systems) > > >> > > >>>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >>>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >>>To: "U.S. Metric Association" > > >>>Subject: [USMA:39149] Pure SI for area in UK? > > >>>Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 01:54:58 +0000 > > >>> > > >>>I noticed in this BBC News science article that only the hectare is > >used > > >>>for area. > > >>>It looks like non-SI units for area are either a vanishing breed or > >gone > > >>>altogether: > > >>> > > >>>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6909249.stm > > >>> > > >>>Perhaps UK readers can confirm. > > >>> > > >>>Ezra > > >>> > > >> > > >>_________________________________________________________________ > > >>The next generation of Hotmail is here! http://www.newhotmail.co.uk > > >> > > > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > >The next generation of Hotmail is here! http://www.newhotmail.co.uk > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Got a favourite clothes shop, bar or restaurant? Share your local knowledge > http://www.backofmyhand.com >
