Spring 2009
Volume 18 No. 1
Ask the Steward
by Dan Ernst
Question: I am looking forward to purchasing some forest land and found a �section� for sale. What is a section- I want to buy about 40 acres?
Answer: Most of Indiana was measured and monumented on a system of sections, townships and ranges when it was surveyed between 1807 and 1849. This is called the �public land system survey� (rectangular system), which was originated by the early U.S. colonists based on the Roman system.
This system was modernized as it moved westward to deal with the large expanse of the new world. Indiana�s survey system is very similar to the rest of the western states. However, parts of southern Indiana are on a French system made up of donations and parts measured in military grants, which still confuses me.
Back to your question. A section of land is one mile square and contains 640 acres. A quarter (1/4) section contains 160 acres, and a quarter quarter (1/4,1/4) section contains 40 acres. That�s the easy part. In actuality many sections may contain a little more or a little less than 640 acres due to the accuracy of the nation�s original survey and adjustments made during the survey to account for the earth�s curvature.
One of the best ways to find the approximate location of a piece of property, once you have the legal description, is to look in a plat book. Plat books can be purchased for any county in Indiana for less than $25 and shows property ownerships- complete with section lines and roads!
Contact a local realtor, county extension agent or Department of Agriculture office to find out where to purchase a plat book.
Question: I can�t wait to get back out in the woods. What are some key things I can do in my forest as spring approaches?
Answer: What a great time to be in the woods. To see a forest change with nature is a miraculous thing and spring is one time when the changes occur rapidly. Of course this is a key time for mushroom hunting -April is prime morel time. (When the first oak leaves of the season are the size of a mouse�s ear).
If you are into a challenge, spring is a great time to see how your woods behave in the rain. It is an unmatched experience to the senses. The dormant streams come to life, forest roads and trails show where improvements are needed, and new forest smells and sounds greet the hearty visitor. A forest walk in the rain does involve some dangers. The forest ground is slippery, the weather colder, more branches fall (trees too) and it is easier to become disoriented. So proceed with caution and stay out of the woods during lighting storms.
Spring months are great times to do fence and property line work. New fence posts drive easily into the soft spring soil and, with most trees still naked of leaves, finding property markers and old fence remnants are simplified. Timber inventories, marking timber for sale and doing timber stand improvement are also easier when the forest is in a leaves-off condition.
And, finally who can top the show of the season- Spring Flowers! Grab yourself a good field guide and romp the woods in search of �Spring-beauty� � one of the first flowers of the year. Watch for other common spring flowers like May-apple, Trillium, Toothwort, Trout-lily, Bluebells and two of my personal favorites �Green Dragon� and �Fire Pink�. Here�s a final mushroom tip: May-apple is often a signal of morel mushroom territory.