hy Loans from Government or Puhlic Companies. 133 
II. — The General Land Pkatnage and Improybment 
Company, 
This Company was incorporated by tlio Act 12 tSc 13 Vict., 
cap. XCI., lor "the execution of draining, irrigating, warping, 
and otlierwise iini)r()ving of waste and other lands, and the 
executing of other improvement works in England and Wales." 
The powers of this Company include the erection of farm- 
houses, cottages for agricultural labourers, and farm buildings of 
every kind, as well as the making of railways for agricultural 
purposes, aqueducts, and embankments, irrigating with sewage, 
with the important additional power of purchasing land by 
agreement, not exceeding 1000 acres in extent, improving it and 
selling it afterwards. 
The operations of this Company are about equally divided 
between the execution of work by commission for landowners, 
and granting loans to landowners of the money they themselves 
expend in works authorised and approved by the Inclosuro 
Commissioners. 
The works are classified under five heads, thus : — 
Under Class 1 a landowner may undertake the entire execution 
of improvements by his own agent and employ his own funds for 
the purpose, the Company engaging to repay him the amount 
expended after the works have been approved and passed by the 
Inclosure Commissioners. 
A landowner who has partially drained his estate by means of 
a Government loan, may thus obtain from the Company the 
necessary money to complete the improvement, or to execute 
such other improvements as farm buildings, roads, &c., not 
authorised by the Drainage Loan Acts. 
Under Class 2 a landowner may make use of the Company's 
powers to execute the improvements as under Class 1, supplying 
the money throughout, both for the works and the loan on the 
estate, and employing the Company only to conduct the business 
through all the official forms, and to convert his outlay and 
expenses into a rent-charge on the estate. 
By this arrangement a tenant for life may use his own money 
to improve his settled estate without sinking it for the benefit of 
his successor, but retaining it in the form of an annuity charged 
on the same estate, as a provision for a younger branch of the 
family. 
Under Class 3 a landowner may commit the whole responsi- 
bility of the improvement to the Company, who will undertake 
the preparation of plans and specifications and the execution of 
the works with a staff in constant practice ; or in the case of 
buildings, by sub-contractors under the immediate superintendence 
