"To prove to you that my ideas are not _mere_ ideas, in general my wild ideas lead to theory, and theory leads to practice, and then follows the result, which sometimes proves of essential service to the public. "About six years ago I turned my thoughts to this subject, and made a travelling steam-engine at my own expense to try the experiment. "I chained four waggons to the engine, each loaded with 2-1/2 tons of iron, besides seventy men riding on the waggons, making altogether about 25 tons, and drew it on the road from Merthyr to the Quaker's-yard (in South Wales), a distance of 9-3/4 miles, at the rate of four miles per hour, without the assistance of either man or beast, and then, without the load, drove the engine on the road sixteen miles per hour. "I thought this experiment would show to the public quite enough to recommend its general use; but though promising to be of so much consequence, has so far remained buried, which discourages me from again trying, at my own expense, for the public, especially when my family call for the whole of my receipts from my mining concerns for their maintenance. "It is my opinion that every part of agriculture might be performed by steam; carrying manure for the land, ploughing, harrowing, sowing, reaping, thrashing, and grinding; and all by the same machine, however large the estate. "Even extensive commons might be tilled and effectually managed by a very few labourers, without the use of cattle. "Two men would be sufficient to manage an engine, capable of performing the work of 100 horses every twenty-four hours; requiring no extensive buildings or preparations for labourers or cattle, and having such immense power in one machine as could perform every part in its proper season, without trusting to labourers. "I think a machine that would be equal to the power of 100 horses would cost about 500_l._ "My labour in invention I would readily give to the public, if by a subscription such a machine could be accomplished and be made useful. "It would double the population of this kingdom, for a great part of man's food now goes to horses, which would then be dispensed with, and so prevent importation of corn, and at a trifling expense make our markets the cheapest in the whole world; because there are scarcely any coals to be found except in England, where the extreme price, duty included, does not exceed 2_s._ per bushel.