A CROP OF POTATOES.
i ANDERSON V. ABBOTT.
j Evidence was heard at the Magistrate's Court, Stratford, yesterday, before Mr AY. CI. Kenrick, S.M., in the case Henry Anderson (Mr P. Thomson) ! v. Mrs Annie Abbott (Mr E. S. Rutherford), a claim for £oo for the loss of a crop of potatoes grown on defendant's property at Whangamomona by plaintiff. Henry Anderson (plaintiff) said that in August of last year he visited defendant, who said that plaintiff was (quite welcome to the use of the land, jbut that it was necessary to get the consent of her brother-in-law, who had the grass leased. Plaintiff saw the brother-in-law, who said it was all right, and on August 17th defendant and another man started preparing the ground, and finally planted the potatoes. The area planted was 8£ chains, and the actual cost was £24 15s. The season was ordinary, hut a little on the dry side. The crop required hoeing and cleaning to make it a thorough success. Eight rows had been hoed when further work was stopped hy Mr Speck, who had bought defendant's farm. Plaintiff wrote to defendant saying there must be some misjtake, but received no reply either Lo this or a subsequent letter. Plaintiff considered that the yield would be U>n tons to the acre, and he valued the potatoes at £8 per ton. He had a life-long experience of potato-growing. Plaintiff had visited the crop since in company with another man and had made a valuation of it. (Samples of the potatoes were put in). As the crop stood it would yield about six tons. Plaintiff had paid £ll a ton for potatoes. By Mr Rutherfurd: He saw Mrs Abhott about August 4th, which he could prove was the correct date of the interview. The man who held the grazing rights had agreed to the agreement. Plaintiff did not know in August that anyone Jiad looked over the place with a view to purchasing it. The paddock had a lot of timber on it. Part of a hoed row gave three cwt. The frost had not done much harm to the crop, which should have heen harvested at the end of February. John Charles Vincent, farmer, of Whangamomona, said he helped plaintiff with the crop. The potatoes sown were Up-to-dates. Witness spent five or six days hoeing and was then stopped by the occupier of the property.
By Mr Rutherfurd: He was not a partner of plaintiff's. The fencing would not greatly improve defendant's property. Howard Marsh said he had seen Anderson and Vincent working on the crop. Witness had seen the crop on April Pith, when it was in a bad way with weeds. Had it been looked after it would have turned out a good crop. Witness saw defendant about two days after seeing plaintiff working on the crop and she had said tbat plaintiff was putting in the potatoes for himself.
William Henry Bovis, storeman, of Wbanga, said ho had inspected the crop with plaintiff, and had estimated the yield to be seven tons to the acre. ,The rows which had been hoed would yield more than the unhoed. Had the whole crop been hoed, the yield would have been about nine tons to the acre. Witness had gone the same way ahont judging the crop as if he had been purchasing it for a firm. At the end of February the potatoes would sell at £7 a ton. Witness would have been willing to pay £SO on February 15th for the crop in the field at that date. This closed the case for the plaintiff.
Mrs Annie Abbott, defendant, said that plaintiff bad come to her and wanted to know whether he could use part of her property to sow potatoes. Witness told him the property was for sale, an.l that someone had been looking at it that week. She told plaintiff that he could have the place and welcome as far as she was concerned, but if he planted potatoes it would be at bis own risk, as the place was for sale. Plaintiff agreed to this. She had told the agent who sold the property that the potatoes belonged to plaintiff. Plaintiff knew very well that defendant was leaving the place some time before she left.
By Mr Thomson: The paddock was stumped about six yeans ago. Henry Jakes, restaurant keeper, of Whanga, said he bad inspected the crop, and a hoed row yielded one and a half sacks, while an unhoed row only half a sack. (More potatoes put in). He estimated the crop at three tons altogether. He would not have bought the crop in April. William Halberg said that he had told the land agent the potatoes belonged to the plaintiff, and ho had heard defendant tell the purchaser of i the farm the same.
William Phillips gave corroborative evidence.
Joseph McCluggage said he had seen the potatoes in the last week of February and the crop had been neglected and was overrun with weeds. There would be very few eating potatoes only about a ton. Witness would estimate the crop if hoed to be from seven to eight tons to the acre. His Worship reserved his decision.
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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 7, 8 May 1915, Page 7
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870A CROP OF POTATOES. Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 7, 8 May 1915, Page 7
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