A record of actual cases giving comparative figures of maintenance labor and maintenance costs. Referred to on pages 7 to 9 of the Report.
We have classified this record in accordance with the three classes of maintenance given on page 8 of the Report.
It should be stated that these figures are only approximate, because in some, and perhaps most, cases it was not possible to eliminate all the factors that should have been eliminated or to include all the factors that should have been included. However, they are close enough to serve as a basis for discussion and estimating. Labor is figured on the basis of $4.00 for an 8-hour day, 288 days in a year. The reason for not stating where the various areas referred to are located is that some people preferred not to have their data openly published; although none of them, probably, would object to having them passed around privately.
In this class the labor upkeep for the year consists of the equivalent of one man per year for ²⁄₃ to 2 acres. It comprises such areas as described under (e) on page 7, examples being the Rose Garden, Herbaceous Garden, the gardening effects immediately around Conservatory Range No. 1.
There are about 40 acres of this class in the Garden.
A Public Rose Garden
Maintenance costs
| Labor per acre per year | $870.00 |
| Supplies and teaming per acre per year | 1,130.00 |
| $2,000.00 |
Rate per year = 1.327 acres per man.
A Private Formal (walled-in) Garden, a part being a rose garden.
Area ⁴⁄₅ acre.
Rate per year = 0.53 acre per man
(A little teaming extra.)
An Herbaceous and Annual Garden, for supplying cut flowers for the house.
Area ³⁄₄ acre.
Rate per year = 1.12 acres per man.
(A little teaming extra.)
A Public City Park, of a highly ornate and sophisticated kind, comprising ornamental trees and shrubs, hand-mown lawns, “bedding-out,” statues, pools, and so on.
Area 24 acres.
Maintenance costs
| Labor per acre per year | $906.40 |
| Supplies and teaming per acre per year | 154.00 |
| $1,060.40 |
Rate per year = 1.272 acres per man.
A Public Herbaceous Garden
Area 4 acres, about half of which is lawn.
Maintenance costs
| Labor per acre per year | $1,060.00 |
| Supplies and teaming per acre per year | 375.00 |
| $1,435.00 |
Rate per year = 1.087 acres per man.
In this class the labor upkeep for the year consists of the equivalent of one man per year for 2-6 acres. It comprises such areas as described under (d) on page 7, examples being the Cherry Garden, Fruticetum, and perhaps the lawn areas around the Museum. There are about 75 acres of this class in the Garden.
A Suburban Place
Design rather complex, outline of lawn very irregular.
Area 1.80 acres, composed as follows:
| Buildings | .18 acres |
| Roads and yards | .13 ” |
| Garden (mostly vegetable) | .13 ” |
| Lawn | .50 ” |
| Balance (trees and shrubbery with a few paths and herbaceous beds) | .86 ” |
Maintenance costs
| Labor per acre per year | $512.00 |
| Supplies and teaming per acre per year | 127.22 |
| $639.22 |
Rate per year = 2¹⁄₄ acres per man.
Shrubbery and Lawns on a Suburban Place
Area, 30 acres.
Rate per year = 4.09 acres per man.
(A little teaming extra.)
Quasi-Suburban Country Place,
excluding farm lands, including considerable macadam road about 16’ wide, mostly
grass-bordered.
Landscape portion, 22 acres, composed as follows:
| Grounds immediately about house, largely in turf terraces, with a few beds of annuals | about 3 acres |
| Nursery | 1³⁄₄ ” |
| Balance made up of lawn, partly hand-mown among trees and partly horse-mown, with considerable areas in trees with undergrowth | 17¹⁄₄ ” |
Rate per year = 2¹⁄₂ acres per man.
(A little teaming extra.)
In this class the labor upkeep for the year consists of the equivalent of one man per year for 6-18 acres. It comprises such areas as described under (b) and (c) on page 7, examples being the general woodlands of the Garden and the North Meadow. There are about 265 acres of this class in the Garden.
A Municipal Park,
of a simple kind, consisting of tree and shrub plantations, and large areas of meadow or lawn roughly mown.
Area, 103 acres.
Maintenance costs
| Labor per acre per year | $127.45 |
| Supplies and teaming per acre per year | 60.06 |
| $187.51 |
Rate per year = 9.04 acres per man.
A Country Place
Area 250 acres, composed as follows:
| Cultivated fields | 36.0 acres |
| Pasture | 35.4 ” |
| Garden | 3.4 ” |
| Orchard, golf-links, and tennis courts | 10.0 ” |
| Lawn and shrubbery near garden | 2.0 ” |
| House-grounds (lawn, shrubbery, perennials, ¹⁄₄ mile of road, complex design) | 4.0 ” |
| Cottage grounds (lawn and scattered trees) | 4.0 ” |
| Woodland, about | 150.0 ” |
Rate per year (average) = 25 acres per man.