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im*#» 7-0Electronic Counter For Seeds Developed* *The tedious Usk of counting seeds by hand, when inspecting and grading, has now been eliminated by researcher* of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. They have developed a new device—an electronic seed counter —which can now count twice as many seeds in the same time it lakes an experienced inspector to do it by hand.This seed counter was originally designed to count peanuts, but it can also count a variety of beans and other seeds ranging in thickness from H inch to just under a half inch, and in length from \l/A Inches down to % inch. These dimensions would include seeds such as wheat, barley, corn, and pea beans, among others.Savings in time and money gained through a single season's use of the machine could equal or exceed the initial cost of the unit. Savings on this scale are ! possible when five or more sam-jples are counted per hour, up to j 1.200 or more samples a year. The machine will pay for itself over a longer period, of course, when used less frequently, but it could still be considered a profitable trado time and money saver, chil- The unit is highly accurate, with only about 1 error in counting lfl.000 seeds in laboratory and field tests. The unit can count from 250 to 750 seeds per minute, .depending upon the size and uniformity of the seeds.The counter is about the size of an office typewriter, although twice is heavy, at 5 pounds. Al*fts in j though this may be a hefty weight,| the counter is compact and port*tt annightable, and has ben built for heavy iise over a long lifetime. *- -The seed counter is easy fa operate. A sample of seeds is poured in an open bowl whj^hform* the top dl the machine.When the machine Is tunned on,' it vibrates somewhat like ati electric massager, •' ;The seeds get their “marching., orders” fn*n the vibrations, which' make the seeds Jiggle their way up a narrow spiral ledge, in single file, around the sides of the bowl. -As the feeds reach the top of the bowl they slide down a miniaturechute into a bag, box, or bowl placed beside the mathir*.As each seed slides down the chute, It passes through the Beairu of an electric ewye, which the** signals eletronic instrument^JjU the machine to tally the seed a gauge somewhat like the age on an automobile. (The gadjpZ on the seed counter would re|istei * about 1,000 seeds in the same time ‘ it takes to read fa this point from;; the beginning of the article.)This new seed counter is^ now;; in use with the Federal-StatS * Peanut Inspection Service, And, I* of course, greater use of the elecjr tronic seed counter can be ex-;-4pectcd as it becomes more wide-' jy known. It has Recently becom#;-available from commercial manu-facturers. ___ .. »*Women Trampled-’rJOHANNESBURG, South Africa-* (AP)—Women demonstrators o(\ various races were attacked*and; trampled Wednesday by a crowrf; of whites on the City Hall steps. J
Newspaper Details
San Antonio Express
San Antonio, Texas, US
Thu, May 24, 1962
Page 49
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous A.
WI, USA 27 Oct 2021
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