New Ideas

GOODS & SERVICES

Short-Order Pasture. A farm machine that uses the hydroponic method of growth (in a chemical solution without soil) was put on the market by Buckeye Corp., maker of chicken incubators. Housed in a 120-sq-ft aluminum building, it can match 15 to 25 acres of cattle pasturage by growing 45 tons of fresh grass a year at about $13 a ton. Lit by fluorescent lamps, it works night and day. Price: $2,880.

Automatic Cameras. To spur recession-minded buyers, Bell & Howell brought out nine new camera products months ahead of schedule. Items: the 8-mm. Auto Load, a home movie projector that automatically threads the film; four cheaper ($99.95 to $159.95) versions of two previous "electric eye" 8-mm. movie cameras, which automatically adjust the lens to the right light.

Skip the Change. An automatic change dispenser for cash registers which speeds up supermarket checkouts by 30% was announced by National Cash Register Co. Instead of the usual two or three times that change is counted per transaction (with an average 15% error rate), the new machine registers the change due, tells the clerk how many bills to hand over, send the coins down a chute to the customer. Price: $375.

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