Recently I received a poster advertisement for Agrico Fertilizer, a fertilizer for potatoes. Three local men were featured in the ad from 1937.

Despite a bad weather season, Newton P. Kieffer tested Agrico against another brand of fertilizer on his potato crop. The acre with Agrico yielded 90.6 bushels while the other fertilizer brand yielded 72 bushels. Average yield in the area was about 60 bushels per acre. The profit was $18.60 more per acre. The quality and uniform size of the potatoes was better with Agrico.

Artis Rahn tested an acre of Agrico fertilized potatoes alongside five acres fertilized with a 7-5-7 fertilizer. The Agrico fertilized potatoes showed larger greener vines and outyielded the other fertilizer fed potatoes by 11.2 bushels on No. 1’s per acre and 1.7 bushels on No. 2’s. This meant an extra profit of $10 an acre.

J.R. Elkins of Guyton noted the cost of $1.50 extra for Agrico but yielded 31.5 more bushels per acre, netting a $14.83 profit increase per acre with Agrico.

These testimonies convinced farmers that Agrico was the best fertilizer for potatoes. L.P. Dickey was the agent in Springfield at that time.

Thanks to Glenda H. Newkirk for sharing this with Historic Effingham Society.

This was compiled by Susan Exley of Historic Effingham Society. If you have photos, comments or information to share, contact her at 754-6681 or email her at: hesheraldexley@aol.com.