D. M. Ferry & Co. v. Smith

209 P. 1066, 36 Idaho 67, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 143
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedApril 15, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 209 P. 1066 (D. M. Ferry & Co. v. Smith) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
D. M. Ferry & Co. v. Smith, 209 P. 1066, 36 Idaho 67, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 143 (Idaho 1922).

Opinions

BUDGE, J.

This is an action in claim and delivery, brought by respondent to recover possession of about 5,045 pounds of seed beans.

The facts were stipulated in the trial court. Since prior to September 15, 1915, appellant has been the owner of the S.i/2 NE.14 of sec. 6, T. 11 S., R. 17 E., B. M., in Twin Falls county, on which date he leased in writing said premises to one R. A. Norris, for the term beginning October 1, 1915, and ending October 1, 1916. The lease provides that:

[70]*70“ .... and the said second party (Norris), in consideration of the leasing of the above premises, hereby covenants and agrees with the said party of the first part (appellant) to pay the said party of the first part as rent for the same as follows, to wit: one-half of all the crop or crops . . . . grown on the above-mentioned land. Party of the second part is to deliver the first party’s share of the crop in Twin Falls, Idaho, as soon as the same has been threshed . . . , ”

Norris took possession of the premises under the lease, and about April 1, 1916, made a written offer to respondent, as follows:

“Twin Falls, P. 0., Idaho State,
“April-, 1916.
“Messrs. D. M. Ferry & Co.
“Detroit, Michigan.
“I agree, on the terms and conditions stated below, to raise for you, on lands of suitable quality and condition, located in Section 6, Township of 11-17 East, County of Twin Falls, and State of Idaho, and deliver to you at Twin Falls, the following seeds, 12 acres beans, Black Valentine (12 bushels seed).
“I agree properly to prepare and plant such lands with stock seed to be furnished by you free on board cars at Twin Falls, Idaho, properly to cultivate and care for the crop, to harvest, cure, separate and clean, as well as possible with ordinary farm machinery, its entire seed product, in such manner as to secure the greatest return of seed suitable for seedman’s use; and to sack and deliver all the seed to you free on board cars at Twin Falls, Idaho, as soon as the seed can be put in suitable condition, and before November 30th, 1916, without wasting, feeding, selling, reserving or allowing any portion of the crop or seed furnished to pass from my possession except as delivered to you. The stock seed and seed crop produced from it is, and shall remain your property except as otherwise stated in this contract.
“In order to prevent hybridization and to keep the crop pure, I agree that during the life of this contract I will not grow seeds of the same species for any other person, and [71]*71as far as I am able to prevent it, there shall be no other plants of the same species grown within ten rods of this crop. I will take at all times every reasonable precaution to keep the crop pure and to prevent seed of any chance plants of a different variety or of a stock of the same variety different from that sent me by you, becoming mixed with seeds grown under this agreement. You or your agents may at any time enter the field and at your own expense make such examinations, selections or rejections as you or they deem desirable for the betterment of the crop for seed purposes, and you or they shall not be liable for necessary damage, if any, to my crop resulting from such work.
“You are carefully to weigh and test the crop upon its delivery. Any remilling is to be done by you at your expense. You may refuse to accept the crop if less than eighty-five per cent (85%) of the seeds are vital, or if in your judgment the crop is in any other respect unfit for seedmen’s use and cannot be made fit without an unreasonable amount of cleaning or hand picking. In case of dispute as to vitality, it is agreed that a sample of the seeds may be submitted to the United States Department of Agriculture for testing, and the report of the Department of Agriculture on the sample submitted shall be final and binding on both of us. The sample shall be taken from the seeds as they stand in your warehouse, by drawing a sample from each sack, then thoroughly mixing the same, and taking a sample from the mixture, which shall be sent by the ordinary course of mail or otherwise to the Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C. In case you refuse to accept the crop, its title shall vest in me and I agree to reimburse you immediately for stock seed and bags furnished, and for all freight charges paid by you on such rejected crop. If, within 60 days after you mail me Notice of Refusal to accept the seeds, you do not receive directions from me as to their disposition, you may dispose of them as you wish.
“In consideration of the faithful carrying out of this agreement by me and as full compensation for my services, you are to pay me at the rate of (4%) four and one-fourth cents per pound for all seed in excess of the stock seed [72]*72furnished me, delivered under this contract and accepted by you, payment to be made immediately upon your acceptance of the seed. No payment is to be made for any seed which you do not consider sufficiently pure, clean and dry for seedman’s use and no credit is to be given for dirt, or for damaged or poor seed which has to be removed. In all eases; the screenings and culls are to remain the property of the party who separates them from the crop.
“If so requested in writing, you shall loan for my use free of charge, suitable bags for shipping the crop, and I agree to pay all transportation charges thereon; and you shall allow me full wholesale' market value for all new, sound, undefaced, seamless cotton grain bags which I may put and you receive containing the crop.
“This letter when accepted by you shall constitute our contract, and be construed according to Michigan laws. There are no agreements or understandings regarding the subject matter of this letter other than expressed' above.
“Yours truly,
“R. A. NORRIS.”
“Accepted at Detroit, Michigan, this 10th day of April, 1916.
“D. M. FERRY & CO.
“By L. D. COULTER.”

The above offer was accepted by respondent at Detroit, Michigan, April 10, 1916, and thereafter the seed was furnished by respondent to Norris, by whom it was planted on a portion of the leased premises. As the crop grown therefrom was being threshed, appellant took and retained one-half thereof in his possession, over the protest of respondent’s agent, notwithstanding an oral offer by the latter to pay the contract price thereof and a demand for possession, and a subsequent written offer and demand, both of which were refused by appellant, who stored the property so taken in a warehouse at Twin Falls, from which it was taken by the sheriff under the writ of replevin issued in this action and delivered to respondent.

The cause was tried to the court without a jury. From a judgment awarding respondent possession of 4,606 pounds [73]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
209 P. 1066, 36 Idaho 67, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 143, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/d-m-ferry-co-v-smith-idaho-1922.