Deere & Co. this morning reported record first-quarter earnings of $514 million, or $1.20 per share, in its first fiscal quarter which ended Jan. 31, more than double the $243.2 million, or 57 cents per share, the company reported for the same period last year. Worldwide net sales and revenues for the first quarter increased 27 percent, to $6.1 billion, compared with $4.8 billion last year. “Sales of large farm machinery, particularly in the United States and Canada, are continuing to make a major impact, while construction equipment shipments are experiencing some degree of recovery,” Deere Chairman and CEO Samuel Allen said in a press release.