LEGAL DESCRIPTION u THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION IDENTIFIES PROPERTY IN SUCH TERMS THAT IT CANNOT BE CONFUSED WITH ANY OTHER PROPERTY. u A LEGAL DESCRIPTION IS ALWAYS INCLUDED IN AN APPRAISAL REPORT.

u THREE PRINCIPLE METHODS ARE USED FOR DESCRIBING REAL PROPERTY IN THE U.S. u THE METES AND BOUNDS SYSTEM u THE RECTANGULAR SURVEY SYSTEM u THE SUBDIVISION LOT AND BLOCK SYSTEM

u THE FIRST TWO SYSTEMS ARE OF CONCERN TO RURAL PROPERTY IN AGRICULTURAL USE. u THE THIRD SYSTEM IS PERTINENT TO THE APPRAISAL OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE DEVELOPED FOR RESIDENTIAL USE.

METES AND BOUNDS SYSTEM u A SURVEY SYSTEM WHICH MEASURES AND IDENTIFIES LAND BY DESCRIBING PROPERTY BOUNDARIES. u THIS SYSTEM WAS USED FOR LAND TRANSFERS IN THE ORIGINAL COLONIES AND SOME PARTS OF TEXAS.

u A METES AND BOUNDS DESCRIPTION DESCRIBES THE BOUNDARY OF THE PROPERTY IN A CLOCKWISE OR COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION FORM THE POINT OF BEGINNING.

u THE POINT OF BEGINNING IS THE SURVEY REFERENCE POINT WHICH IS TIED INTO ADJOINING SURVEYS. u METES REFER TO DISTANCES. u BOUNDS REFER TO THE BEARING FROM THE TRUE NORTH AND SOUTH LINE.

RECTANGULAR SURVEY SYSTEM u THE RECTANGULAR SYSTEM WAS INTRODUCED IN u THE RECTANGULAR SYSTEM IS BASED ON SETS OF INTERSECTING LINES:

PRINCIPLE MERIDIANS, WHICH RUN NORTH AND SOUTH BASE LINES, WHICH RUN EAST AND WEST

u A RANGE IS CREATED BY LINES WHICH RUN NORTH AND SOUTH PARALLEL TO THE PRINCIPLE MERIDIANS. u EACH RANGE IS SIX MILES WIDE. u EACH SIX-MILE-WIDE RANGE IS DESIGNATED BY CONSECUTIVE NUMBERS EAST OR WEST OF THE PRINCIPLE MERIDIAN.

u A TOWNSHIP ARE SIX-MILE BY SIX-MILE BLOCKS OF LAND THAT ARE TIERED WITHIN THE STRIPS FORMED BY THE RANGE LINES. u EACH TOWNSHIP IS SIX BY SIX MILES, WHICH IS 36 SQUARE MILES. u EACH TOWNSHIP IS DESIGNATED BY CONSECUTIVE NUMBERS NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE BASE LINE.

u EACH SECTION IS ONE MILE SQUARE, THERE BEING 36 SECTIONS IN A TOWNSHIP. u A SECTION IS 640 ACRES. u SECTIONS ARE DIVIDED INTO SMALLER AREAS SUCH AS HALVES AND QUARTERS.

u A LEGAL DESCRIPTION BASED ON THE RECTANGULAR SYSTEM IDENTIFIES THE PRECISE LOCATION OF PROPERTY ON A GRID. u FOR EXAMPLE: NE1/4, SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 4 NORTH, RANGE 4 EAST

LOT AND BLOCK SYSTEM u THE LOT AND BLOCK SYSTEM APPLIES IN MOST URBAN COMMUNITIES. u A TRACT OF LAND IS SURVEYED AND PLATTED INTO RECTANGULAR BLOCKS AND LOTS.

u EACH BLOCK AND LOT IS NUMBERED FOR IDENTIFICATION. u COPIES OF THE PLAT ARE FILED IN THE COUNTY RECORDER’S OFFICE FOR PERMANENT REFERENCE.

LAND MEASUREMENTS u ONE SECTION = 640 ACRES = ONE SQ. MILE u HALF SECTION = 320 ACRES u QUARTER SECTION = 160 ACRES u ONE ACRE = 43,560 SQ.FT. u ONE MILE = 5,280 FT. u ONE LABOR = 177 ACRES u ONE VARA = INCHES u ONE CHAIN = 66 FT. u ONE ACRE IS 10 SQ. CHAINS

SOILS u SOILS ARE THE BASIC COMPONENT OF VALUE IN AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES. u SOILS ARE THE MEDIUM OF PRODUCTIVE CAPABILITY.

u THE USE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SOIL DETERMINE THE PROFIT THAT CAN BE REALIZED FROM AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. u EVERY APPRAISAL OF PROPERTY THAT IS USED FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SHOULD HAVE A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE SOILS ON THE PROPERTY.

PRODUCTIVITY RATINGS u PRODUCTIVITY RATINGS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE APPRAISAL OF AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES. u VARIOUS METHODS MAY BE USED TO ARRIVE AT SOME ESTIMATE OF RELATIVE PRODUCTIVITY OF PROPERTIES.

u LAND CAPABILITY CLASS RATINGS AND YIELD INDEXES MAY BE USED TO ESTIMATE PRODUCTIVITY.

LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM u THE LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION (LCC) SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED BY THE SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE (NOW THE NRCS). u THIS CLASSIFICATION IS BASED ON THE LIMITATIONS OF THE SOIL RATHER THAN POTENTIAL YIELD. u INDICATES THE GENERAL SUITABILITY OF SOILS FOR MOST KINDS OF CROPS.

u Class I soils have few limitations that restrict use. u Class II soils have moderate limitations that reduce the choice of plants or that require moderate conservation practices. u Class III soils have severe limitations that reduce the choice of plants or that require, special conservation practices. u Class IV soils have severe limitations that reduce the choice of plants or that require very careful management, or both.

u Class V soils generally are not considered suitable for cultivation. These soils are likely to erode, but have other limitations, impractical to remove, that limit their use. u Class VI, VII, and VIII are soils that have severe limitations that make them unsuitable for cultivation or commercial crop production.

CAPABILITY SUBCLASSES u Subclass e - the main limitation is risk of erosion. u Subclass w - the main limitation to the soil is excess water, poor drainage, wetness, high water table, or overflow. u Subclass s - the soil is limited because it is shallow, droughty, or stony, or has some other soil problem in the rooting zone. u Subclass c - the chief limitation is climate that is too cold or too dry.

SOIL PRODUCTIVITY INDEXING u A SOIL PRODUCTIVITY INDEX IS BASED ON THE RELATIVE PRODUCTIVE CAPACITIES OF DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES. u IT IS A RELATIVE INDEX IN THAT IT IS CALCULATED USING A BASE SOIL TYPE.

u SOIL PRODUCTIVITY INDEXES CALCULATED FOR DIFFERENT PROPERTIES MAY BE COMPARED TO DETERMINE THEIR RELATIVE PRODUCTIVITY. u IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE THE SAME BASE SOIL TYPE TO CALCULATE THE INDEXES FOR THERE TO BE COMPARABILITY.