AGRICULTURAL ENGINES. 49 



If an Act of Parliament would give him one-tenth 

 of the saving he could effect during twenty-one years, a 

 company might be formed for carrying into full effect 

 his plans for propelling ships, travelling with weights 

 on roads, and performing almost every kind of agri- 

 cultural labour, while a patent for fourteen years was 

 open to constant infringement, and the inventor of useful 

 machinery was a target- for every mechanic to shoot at, 

 had law suits with the kingdom at large, and ultimate 

 ruin, as a reward for his labours. Inventions of such 

 general application, when fairly established, should be 

 thrown open to the public, Government paying the 

 inventors their expenses, and reasonable reward for 

 their time. 



[Rough draft.] 

 " MR. PlCKWOOD, " CORNWALL, CAMBORNE, 17th June, 1812. 



" Sir, Yours of the 17th April I received about twenty 

 days since, and from that time to the present have been in 

 treaty with Messrs. Plummer, Barham, and Co., for your engine. 

 We have now closed for an engine complete, of the power of 

 twelve mules at a time, with suitable duplicates, chains, &c., for 

 210Z. I very much wish for your engine to be set to work by' 

 your own workmen, to show the planters the simplicity and easy 

 management of the machine, and also save the expense of an 

 engineer, which will tend to promote their use. The engine 

 will be set to work before it is sent off, and every possible care 

 taken to execute it in the most perfect order. From the expe- 

 rience I have had with common labourers keeping these engines 

 in order, since I wrote to you, I have no doubt you will get on 

 satisfactorily. 



" I hope to get the engine ready in five or six weeks, but I 

 fear there will be loss of time in shipping it. You may rest 

 assured that I will spare no time or attention to promote the 

 performance of this engine. I am so Jar satisfied with the pro- 

 bability of its fully answering your purpose that I voluntarily 

 offered Messrs. Plummer, Barham, and Co., that if you return it 



VOL. TT. K 



