The original Hollerith electric tabulating system did not have an adequate method for sorting cards. This became a problem in the 1900 agricultural census, so Herman Hollerith (1860-1929) developed an automatic sorter. The first one was a tabletop model with the bins arranged horizontally. Later, when his system was gaining favor commercially, Hollerith redesigned the sorter into a sturdier, vertical machine that would not take up too much space in small railroad offices. This 070 Vertical Sorting Machine of 1908 could operate at a rate of 250-270 cards a minute.