Common to the areas around Louisiana, long lots allowed access to waterways and/or roads by all landowners.

Though functional in the short-run, the use of the metes-and-bounds method of designating land sections could cause problems in proving or retaining ownership if landmarks are destroyed.

The East 32.0 feet of Lot 2 and the
West 38.00 feet of
Lot 3 Block 4.
NORTH
ROSEDALE, as recorded in Plat
Book 15, Page 12, of the Public
Records of
Hillsborough
County, Florida

A series of base lines and principal meridians function as the x and y axis respectively to form graph paper like grids. Base lines follow latitude and principal meridians follow longitude.

Divided much of the country into a system of townships and ranges to facilitate the sale of land to settlers in the West

Each township is 6 miles long and 6 miles wide AND divided into 36 one mile square sections numbered from 1 to 36 starting in the top right corner and snaking down to 36 as illustrated below.

Each township is identified on a grid much like the plotting of points on a graph in math class
EXCEPT here you are locating township areas (6 miles square) not points.
Each square can be subdivided using cardinal and intermediate directions.

T = Township
N = North
S = South
R = Range
E = East
W = West
E 
T4N
R3W
T3N
R3W
T1S
R2W
T1S
R1W
T1N
R1E
T1N
R2E
T3S
R1W
T2S
R3E
T3S
R4E
T4N
R5E
N 
S 

Settlers to the US West purchased 160 acres plots for small sums of money… the government’s means of staking claim to the open lands of the country.
160 acres = ½ mile square
160 acres ≈ 6 city blocks square

 R. 7 E.  R. 8 E  R. 9 E 
6 5 4 3 2 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 6 5 4 3 2 1
7 8 9 10 11 12 7 8 9 10 11 12 7 8 9 10 11 12
18 17 16 15 14 13 18 17 16 15 14 13 18 17 16 15 14 13
T. 44 N
19 20 21 22 23 24 19 20 21 22 23 24 19 20 21 22 23 24
30 29 28 27 26 25 30 29 28 27 26 25 30 29 28 27 26 25
31 32 33 34 35 36 31 32 33 34 35 36 31 32 33 34 35 36
◄
6 5 4 3 2 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 6 5 4 3 2 1
7 8 9 10 11 12 7 8 9 10 11 12 7 8 9 10 11 12
18 17 16 15 14 13 18 17 16 15 14 13 18 17 16 15 14 13
19 20 21 22 23 24 19 20 21 22 23 24 19 20 21 22 23 24
T. 43 N
30 29 28 27 26 25 30 29 28 27 26 25 30 29 28 27 26 25
31 32 33 34 35 36 31 32 33 34 35 36 31 32 33 34 35 36

To read the legal description you should read from right to left. Read the descriptions for which the answer is already marked to assist you in decoding the methodology of the system.
A: N 1/2 of NW 1/4 of sec. 19, T.44 N., R.8. E.
B: S 1/2 of SE 1/4 of sec. 25, T.44 N., R.7 E.
F: E 1/2 and SW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of sec. 30, T.44 N., R.8 E.
G: S 1/2 of SE 1/4 of SE 1/4 of sec. 24, T.44 N., R.7 E.



Peterson, Donald D., The 160 Acre Farm, 2007
Rubenstein, James M., An Introduction to Human Geography: A
Cultural Landscape, 2005 - page 11