umb - b ob ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 2 ▁and ▁sent ▁Mason ▁( who ▁had ▁returned ▁to ▁Britain ) ▁on ▁a ▁site ▁survey ▁through ▁central ▁England ▁and ▁Scotland ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁suitable ▁location ▁during ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 7 7 3 . ▁Mason ▁selected ▁Sch ie hall ion ▁at ▁which ▁to ▁conduct ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Sch ie hall ion ▁experiment , ▁which ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁primarily ▁by ▁M ask ely ne ▁and ▁determined ▁the ▁density ▁of ▁the ▁Scottish ▁mountain . ▁Several ▁years ▁later ▁Cav end ish ▁used ▁a ▁very ▁sensitive ▁t ors ion ▁balance ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁the ▁Cav end ish ▁experiment ▁and ▁determine ▁the ▁average ▁density ▁of ▁Earth . ▁ ▁In ▁culture ▁ ▁Name ▁Mason ▁and ▁D ixon ▁likely ▁never ▁heard ▁the ▁phrase , ▁" M ason – D ixon ▁line ". ▁ ▁The ▁official ▁report ▁on ▁the ▁survey , ▁issued ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 8 , ▁did ▁not ▁even ▁mention ▁their ▁names . ▁While ▁the ▁term ▁was ▁used ▁occasionally ▁in ▁the ▁dec ades ▁following ▁the ▁survey , ▁it ▁came ▁into ▁popular ▁use ▁when ▁the ▁Missouri ▁Comp rom ise ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 0 ▁named ▁" M ason ▁and ▁D ixon ' s ▁line " ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁boundary ▁between ▁slave ▁territory ▁and ▁free ▁territory . ▁ ▁Symbol ism ▁In ▁popular ▁usage ▁to ▁people ▁from ▁the ▁northern ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁Mason – D ixon ▁line ▁symbol izes ▁a ▁cultural ▁boundary ▁between ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁the ▁South ▁( D ix ie ). ▁However , ▁for