Estate Management and the College Graduate 



By MORELL SMITH,* New York 



A private estate tlial is coiulucteil fur the pleasure 

 and personal satisfaetioii of llie owner is unique in its 

 varied and exacting requirements in the matter of man- 

 agement. In what other vocation is there demanded a 

 larger diversification of attainments? For the interests 

 of an employer one must have knowledge as to huild- 

 ing construction, landscape gardening, elemental engi- 

 neering, horticulture and general farming. I'urther- 

 more, executive ahility in dealing with men and hon- 

 esty in handling consideralile sums of money are re- 

 quired. Indeed an estate superintendent is called niion 

 to draw contributions from nearly every division of hu- 

 man knowledge and experience in order to secure the 

 repose and real enjoyment desired in a countr}^ seat. 



From the nature and conditions of the work, it is 

 very doubtful if many graduates of the four year courses 

 in our colleges will be attracted to estate management as 

 a life work. In these colleges there are courses designed 

 to fit a student, let us say, to be an engineer or a dairy- 

 man, but I know of none which offers definite training for 

 the position of estate superintendent. This work is both 

 a business and a profession, and technical training would 

 obviously be difficult to secure. Two or three per cent 

 of the total number of estate managers would be a con- 

 servative estimate of the present ratio of college men in 

 this line of work within a fiftv mile radius of New York 

 City. 



The average age of a student upon graduation from a 

 four year course is about 23 years. As preparation for es- 

 tate management it would seem that an average of five 

 years would be required in the way of practical working- 

 experience. A man of 28 or 30 wlio had this foundation 

 training and experience would, as a rule, prefer to start in 

 for himself r;ither thrm give the best years of his life 

 to an employer. 



Before a college man should consider this work there 

 are other features which materially distinguish it from 

 the common avenues of employment and which merit 

 careful attention. The field is geographicallv a linn'ted 

 one. Country places that are large enough to warrant 

 the exjiense of employing a technicallv trained manager 

 can only be supported by men of large wealth who usuallv 

 live within comnnitting distance of great centres of 

 population. The fact that private estates are not run 

 for gain makes cooperation among emplovees and be- 

 tween departments much more difficult than in commer- 

 cial work where all the emjiloyees have a mutual depend- 

 ence upon the financial success of the undertaking. 



Final!}-, the duration and terms of employment are 

 uncertain and varying. Again there is often more or 

 less interference by the emploxer. .\ manager mav often 

 have to cater to his employer's whims when his own 

 practical judgnient would be adverse to certain methods 

 of procedure. These combinations of circnnistances, to- 

 gether with a ])racticaily unlimited fi|-iancial backing, are 

 apt to dwarf a manager's ambrtious initiative and warp 

 his perspective in such a way as to unfit him for fiilnre 

 practical agriculture. 



On the other hand, estate management presciits an 

 unic|ue opportunity to a certain number of college men 

 who, at the age of 2.^. will have grasped the training 

 and experience that their average classmate does not se- 

 cure before 28 or 30. If one can take a college course and 

 earlv secure a large amount of varied practical experience 

 and knowledge, this work will then form a helpful stepping 



*.M] riglits of public.Ttiou reserved. 



stone to his tulure independent anil)ilions. In such an in- 

 stance a young man with these fundamental qualifications 

 could well atiord to spend a few years on an estate — pref- 

 erably (jn one of the smaller [)laces where he would get in 

 close touch with the details of the work. Having such a 

 field for his activities he could secure invaluable executive 

 experience. In addition he could accumulate cajjital to 

 start business in a small way along such lines as he 

 might later elect. If a young man so qualified can win 

 the confidence of a considerate employer and can develop 

 the iaterit possibilities in the place this work becomes 

 very interesting and profitible. 



An owner of a country seat maintains such as a place 

 of abode and relaxation after the cares of business. Con- 

 sequently he desires relief from petty details, neatness 

 in the general appearance of the ])lace and high standard 

 of products. An employer is looking for a superintendent 

 who can secure these results economically, honestly and 

 efficiently. 



It would be difficult to master the practical details in 

 the various and com])lex phases of work that a])pear in 

 estate supervision. It is rather to Ije supposed that a 

 college trained man in such a position would be a special- 

 ist along certain lines for which his training and experi- 

 ence fit him. It is not to be expected that any man — 

 whether technically trained or not — should have a thor- 

 ough practical experience in all departments in order to 

 assume management of an estate. For example, a man- 

 ager might have special training along lines of animal 

 husbandry so as to personally direct the detailed feeding 

 of dairy cows for record production. However, it would 

 hardly be possible for the same man to be equally expert 

 in the details of floricultin-e so as to w-in in a tlovver show. 

 .\ manager can surround himself with practical men 

 who are efficient in their particular field of carrying out 

 the work along a general plan under his supervision. It 

 is an essential requisite that such men evidence a spirit 

 of cooperation not only with the manager but also be- 

 tween the different deiiartments. If the manager will 

 delegate the details and responsibility to these men at 

 the heads of particularly specialized departments he can 

 then hold then-i accountable for results. 



There are certain phases in the management of coun- 

 try estates for which a technically trained man would 

 seem especially fitted. The average estate which can 

 afford to hire such a man should have a sufficient budget 

 to be spent on the work whiidi his supervision convers. 

 .\n emplover appreciates nothing so much as the satis- 

 faction of knowing that his moi-iey is being w'isely spent 

 and that he is getting value received for his outlay. A 

 cost system that shows total expenditures in various 

 departments together with a systematized budget are 

 business features that appeal to an employer. X terse 

 monthly report showing how money has been spent ; how 

 labor has been emj)loyed ; what has been done and what 

 has been produced is likewise essential.. It helps to keep 

 the owner in close touch with the work and hence enlists 

 his interest and cooperation. 



A major portion of the work on a private place is 

 of a routine nature and a careful sturly and svstematiza- 

 tion of this will result in general increased efficiency. The 

 administration of an estate involves the application of a 

 large number of new ideas in the practice and science of 

 agriculture to obtain the results the present dav emplover 

 requires. With the training a college man has had he 

 sliould be progressive enough to adopt new ideas and yet 



