Picked this up at a muddy March flea market for two dollars. It has numbered notches and a rotating top plate, but no obvious way to attach it to anything. What is this thing?

to suit different types of seeds and planting conditions.

Farmers would use seed dials by aligning the rotating plate with the numbered notches, which corresponded to various seed sizes and planting depths. This simple yet effective mechanism allowed for quick adjustments in the field.

Once set, the dial would guide the planter’s seed dispenser, ensuring consistent application. This precision was vital, as different crops required different planting densities for optimal growth. The seed dial was an early example of precision agriculture,