almost nothing is thoroughly well done of its kind, where nearly 

 every job is left half-finished because of the necessity of taking a 

 few stitches somewhere else, not only is there much waste of 

 effort — the sort of waste inseparable from poverty — but also 

 there is bound to be a tendency to demoralization of the mainte- 

 nance force itself, a lowering of its standards and ideals, an ac- 

 ceptance of enforced low standards as good enough, a loss of the 

 priceless stimulus of pride and shame, of esprit de corps. 



In addition to such suggestions for improvement of the mecha- 

 nism of maintenance, we would urge the importance of placing the 

 responsibility, under the Director-in-Chief, for the maintenance 

 of grounds and for those cumulative improvements in detail 

 which are inseparable from maintenance, upon some one first- 

 class superintendent having the necessary technical skill and 

 ideals, and the peculiar qualities needed by one who is to be at 

 once a good executive and leader in his own department, a loyal 

 subordinate to the Director-in-Chief, and a sympathetic col- 

 laborator with other specialists. Perhaps you have in your pres- 

 ent personnel the man for such a position. Perhaps you need 

 to look outside. But obviously a first-class man in such a posi- 

 tion is of the greatest importance, especially during a period of 

 building up the gardening and maintenance force and improving 

 its work. 



PART II 



IMPROVMENTS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH MAINTENANCE; THE 

 MAKING OF EXISTING FEATURES BETTER OF THEIR KIND 



As previously indicated, no sharp line can be drawn between 

 maintenance of the sort which ensures progressive improvement 

 (as a result of the controlled growth oi long-lived plants and asso- 

 ciations of plants), and, on the other hand, improvements of detail 

 which are not strictly maintenance but which, although not 

 very notable individually, are important because of their collec- 

 tive and cumulative effect. 



There are many opportunities for this sort of improvement of 

 detail in the Botanical Garden, as would be almost inevitable 

 where past improvements and maintenance have been carried 

 on under the handicap of insufficient funds, and with the recur- 

 ring temptation to undertake an improvement under circum- 

 stances adverse to the best results. 



Merely as examples we will mention a few such opportunities 

 which have thrust themselves upon us as important. The making 

 of such improvements is so bound up with improved maintenance 



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