I was at a tractor show last fall, visiting with some John Deere owners. A subject that came up was that one of them was trying to get a John Deere fertilizer bag, but the guy wanted $40.00 for it. That seemed a little strange to me, so I asked about John Deere fertilizer at a get-together of our tractor club (all colors) in December. I guess I was the only one that didn’t know. Did John Deere really have a fertilizer plant?
M.H., Missouri

Yes, they did. According to Wayne G. Broehl Jr., in his book John Deere’s Company, in late 1951, after visiting with officials in the USDA in Washington, D.C., Deere president C.D. Wiman returned to Moline believing that great opportunities for Deere & Company lay in the production of nitrogen fertilizer, which was beginning to be adopted by farmers in the corn and wheat belts. After much study, the project to build a nitrogen fertilizer production plant near Pryor, Oklahoma, was approved by the Deere board of directors in the late summer of 1952, with construction beginning soon thereafter. By 1955, the plant was in operation. Although today it does seem somewhat strange that Deere chose to go into fertilizer production, the thinking at the time was that the increased yields provided by nitrogen fertilizer would also require additional farm machinery, so the company would profit both ways. In reality, it didn’t quite work out that way. The project was actually begun at about the same time as the New Generation Tractor project, and possibly didn’t get the amount of attention from top-level management that it otherwise might have. Many John Deere dealers didn’t want to be in the fertilizer business and, as a result, most of the Deere fertilizer production was marketed through fertilizer dealers instead of the Deere dealer network. Although the fertilizer venture wasn’t a failure, it also wasn’t a resounding success, and by the mid-1960s Deere quietly removed itself from the fertilizer business by selling the Grand River facility. Today, memorabilia from what Deere called its “Grand River Chemical Division” of Deere & Company is quite rare; even the ad shown (left column) was difficult to find.

I was at a tractor and engine show last fall, and there were a bunch of John Deere gas engines for sale. There was a 11⁄2-horsepower John Deere “E” Engine that I was encouraged to buy for $475, but it needed a complete restoration as far as I could tell, so I turned it down. On the way home I was told that I really blew it, and only then learned that the engine was an “EK” and not an “E”. I have not been able to find anything on an “EK” Engine. Is there such a thing, and was it a mistake to not buy it?
L.O., Illinois

The “EK” Engines (11⁄2, 3, and 6 horsepower) are, to say the least, kind of scarce. The insert supplement (below) for advertising brochure A121-1927 is reproduced for those who do not know of their existence. Fact is, few people do know about them. Our question is, why didn’t your associate step up and buy it? Incidentally, the “K” in “EK” means kerosene.

The most recent issue of Two-Cylinder couldn’t have been any more on target for me. After farming with John Deere Gen II and newer tractors for 30 years, I bought my first two-cylinder six years ago. A “730” Diesel with starting engine, I found that my hands were more than full with what would be a complete restoration. I can tell you, I quickly learned to appreciate the great guidance and advice of your Technical Council.

The “730” took nearly three years to complete, and when I got it done I thought “never again!” That lasted a few months. When I would tell people about some of the woes I went through — with the starting engine, especially — they told me I had started with a tough one. The diesel engine and the starting engine were both big challenges. Not wanting a smaller tractor, but wanting to get my hands on another project, I went to the other end of the spectrum with a 1940 Model “G”. This was a whole lot easier, and took just eight months to complete. Of course, by this time I had acquired some skills and knew where to look for parts and assistance.

After first reading about all of the LP tractors that are still in Arkansas, I drove there to explore. It didn’t take me long to buy three of them and head back home for a trailer. I purchased a “70”, a “720”, and a “730”, which are still all part of the Model “G” family. All were in pretty good shape, and what you said about prices was certainly correct. I think any collector would regard them to be bargains — at least I sure did. I simply didn’t understand why all those tractors are just sitting there, and after disassembling the “70” I was even more puzzled. The worst part on the internals of the engine was in far better shape than the best part of my “730” Diesel. Given the pocketbook and the space, I’d go back again and again to pick up LPs just for speculation, but I’ll have to limit such dreams to within the bounds of reality, and also remember that hoarding wouldn’t be considerate of other collectors. Besides, I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew (buy more than I can restore).

When I got the January–February issue, it made me realize that a tractor collection can include models on both sides of the pass. If people want to limit their collection to two-cylinders, that’s fine. And, if they want to start at 1960 and work forward, that’s fine, too. I “grew up” on Gen IIs, and our yard tractor then was a retired 4020, so now I’m going to nose around for a real good example of a row-crop 4010 to start my NG collection, and I think it will look just fine in the lineup next to the “730s”.

Thank you for the eye-opening encouragement on the LPs and the NGs, and for all of the other things Two-Cylinder does for us.
T.M., Indiana

We’re pleased that the LP-Gas tractors were a positive experience for you, and hope that they will be for other readers as well. You’ve saved three of them from the scrapyard torch, and they may well return the favor by providing fine dividends in the future. Meanwhile, we bet that you’ll enjoy the extra-distinctive two-cylinder sound, and at the same time appreciate the smooth-running qualities of the LP engine.

I really like your plan to have a tractor sale at the Expo instead of an auction. I don’t like to be under time or price pressure when I am making a purchase, and I don’t think you get enough of a chance to learn all you ought to know about an item at an auction. I’d much rather spend time talking things over with the owner, so the sale is just right for me. My typical method is to examine thoroughly, arrive at a price, sleep on it, and then make the decision and close the deal. I hope there’s a good selection of tractors, because I’m ready to start on a new project!
J.P., Iowa

We appreciate your positive remarks regarding the decision to have a casual, person-to-person tractor sale instead of an auction at this year’s Expo. The matter was discussed off and on for two weeks before making the decision, and there were several factors that tipped the scales. Important among them was a desire to moderate and simplify the activities over the three days. Auctions have tended to be an exciting, energetic draw of participants and spectators that virtually empty out the rest of the grounds on Saturday. While this makes for great press, it does little for the Swap Meet Vendors who have hauled their goods from distant locations to serve the needs of parts buyers; or for local attendees whose sole opportunity may be to come on Saturday only to find that many of the exhibits are left unattended and their opportunity to visit with exhibitors is scuttled.

In response to your hope that there will be a good selection of tractors for sale, so do we; but it’s the first time for a program like this, and right now we just don’t know. As the date approaches, we expect that people will be contacting the Club office at a increasing rate to get their tractors into the sale. After all, there will be thousands of potential buyers at the Expo, just as there would be if there was an auction. The differences are that instead of compressing a sale into a few minutes, it can take as long as the buyer and seller wish; and, instead of having to pay a commission fee, there is simply a $20.00 seller registration fee, intended to help offset the rent on the arena and to keep some semblance of order with the program. If there was no pre-registration process, we can only imagine the disorder and confusion of people arriving.

Anyone desiring to sell a John Deere Tractor is encouraged to give the Sale at Expo XVIII a try. There’s ample room under roof for about 80 tractors, and more room on the grass outside of the arena. Simply phone the office at 1 319 824-6060 to request the needed number of applications. This method will be more economical than Swap Meet space for persons wanting only to sell tractors.

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