ESTIMATES OF COST. 213 



Total Estimate. 



By going over the foregoing items in detail and 

 adapting the prices to the locality, a correct estimate 

 may be summed up for the cost of the work on the en- 

 tire field, farm, or tract, which should be charged to 

 the number of acres which will be benefited by the pro- 

 posed improvement. 



From what has been said in previous chapters upon 

 the frequency and depth of drains, it is readily seen 

 that there will be a wide difference in the cost of work 

 according to locaHty and kind of soil operated upon. 

 The cost per acre for the entire tract improved, rather 

 than the cost of individual drains, should be sought. 



Profit on the Investment. 



How much will the land be benefited ? How much 

 will the production be increased ? What will be the 

 saving in labor of cultivation and general management 

 of the land } These things and many more enter into 

 the account to be figured upon, all of which will have 

 a bearing upon the profits, not merely one year, but of 

 all future years. 



The non-resident owner looks at it from a strictly 

 investment standpoint. The improvement will pay 

 him a certain desired per cent on the outlay. If it fig- 

 ures out satisfactorily, the money is placed in the 

 ground instead of upon it. Hence the necessity of 

 being able to strike a proper and correct balance 

 between estimated cost and estimated profit. 



It does not come within the province of this chapter 

 to show what the actual profit of such work will be, 



