OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS 99 



given manner may usually be allowed for by assuming that the cost varies in direct pro- 

 portion to the area, in spite of the fact that there is some saving in dealing with large 

 areas. But, with small places, where the permanent force consists of one or two or three men, 

 and it is not practicable to hire extra men by the day or hour when needed, the increase 

 in cost due to increasing the amount of work, whether by enlarging the areas of main- 

 tenance, or otherwise, must move by perceptible jumps, each jump corresponding to 

 the addition of another man to the permanent force. 



On this account, as well as for other reasons, it is very useful to have data reduced 

 to the form of stating how many hours' labor per week, or per month, is required to 

 maintain an acre (or other unit of area) of ground of a given kind up to a given standard 

 of quality of upkeep. By making statements in this form, or even so as to show the extent 

 of area of a given kind one man can keep up to a given standard, it is possible, in a pre- 

 liminary comparison, to eliminate differences in price of labor and in the precise extent 

 of the particular areas. 



But in drawing conclusions from any such data, it is necessary, further, to make 

 allowance for material differences in the quality and thoroughness of the original improve- 

 ment. These, like difiFerences in quality of upkeep, cannot well be reduced to simple 

 arithmetical factors, like differences in area and differences in price; they must be stated 

 in general terms, and the soundness of any conclusion based upon data where they differ 

 widely must depend upon the soundness of judgment of the individual drawing the 

 conclusion. 



Some of the exceedingly meager data which I now have as to maintenance-cost are 

 shown in the following tables: 



FRAGMENTARY DATA AS TO MAINTENANCE COST 



A. WHOLE PLACES— 



I. Suburban Place Close to Boston. 



Labor. — Part of time of one general man at $40 a month and board, extra labor by the day fur- 

 nished by contractor at $2.25. Say labor factor, 25 cents per hour. 



Character of Place. — 



Total area 1.80 acres 



Buildings 18 " 



Roads and yards 13 " 



Garden (mostly vegetables) 13 " 



Lawn 50 " 



Balance (trees and shrubbery with a few paths and herbaceous beds) . . . .86 " 

 (Design rather complex, outline of lawn very irregular.) 



Quality of upkeep. — Fair to good. 



Maintenance-cost per acre. — Average for four years, 1902-05. 



Comparative cost 

 Actual cost on basis of labor 



Labor, carting, etc $304 44 »* » «nts per hour. 



Supplies 23 16 



Plants and planting 25 78 



S353 38 $282 68 



Extraordinary repairs and renewals ... 174 80 139 84 



$528.18 $422.52 



