Plaintiff Martin McCullough, a farmer in Benton County, applied a pesticide and weed killer called Karmex to his mint bed in 1959. He says that it destroyed the crop. About 12% months later (1960), he planted potatoes in the same field and alleges that the Karmex destroyed his potato crop too. He brought this action for loss of both crops against defendant E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, a Delaware corporation (hereinafter referred to as du Pont), the manufacturer, and Norkem, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Norkem), which sold him the Karmex.
Because we note a number of genuine issues of fact inhering in this record, we shall not dwell further on the events and circumstances upon which claims and defenses are asserted but proceed to enumerate some of the facts which seemingly ought to be resolved by a trier of the facts.
Plaintiffs claim that defendant Norkem acted as an agent for du Pont in selling McCullough the Karmex and instructing him in how to apply it. Both defendants deny such an agency, but their denials seem more conclusions of law than denials in fact. Although agency may be in part a legal concept created by agreement, it may arise from the facts without an express contract. The question of agency therefore remains a genuine issue of fact in this case.
Plaintiffs declare that Norkem’s agent actually looked his land over, recommended the use of 2% pounds per acre instead of the 3 pounds per acre set forth in the Karmex directions furnished by du Pont, and thus, we think, raised another issue of fact concerning defendant Norkem, Inc.
Defendant du Pont urges that its labeling, containing a disclaimer of any warranties whatever and caveat that the
There is also a dispute of fact as to whether, even though Karmex be applied in accordance with the explicit directions from du Pont, it is so selective as to leave the crop unharmed. Whether the directions supplied by the manufacturer were adequate under the circumstances or negligently deficient represents an issue of fact.
Plaintiffs claim that Karmex was an economic poison, both adulterated and misbranded under Laws of 1941, ch. 230, p. 726, in effect until 1961, and thus applicable to the Karmex applied by McCullough in 1959.
Sec. 3. Economic poison is adulterated when:
(c) It is intended for use on vegetation and contains any substance or substances which is seriously injurious to vegetation, except weeds, when used according to the directions furnished therewith.
Sec. 4. Economic poison is misbranded when:
(a) The package or label thereon bears any false or misleading statement, design, or device regarding such article or the ingredients or substances contained therein.
(d) It is labeled or branded so as to deceive or mislead the purchaser.
Sec. 6. It is unlawful to sell any adulterated or mis-branded economic poison.
Because we have observed a number of genuine issues of fact yet to be resolved by trial, we cannot at this juncture determine which of the many authorities cited by the parties are of controlling significance nor which rules of law are applicable to the facts of this case. There is time enough to do that when the facts present the issues of law squarely before us. Therefore, we do not at this time pass upon the questions of law presented except to rule that the existence of genuine issues of fact subsisting between the plaintiffs and both defendants warrants a trial on all issues of fact, including those hereinabove referred to and those framed by the pleadings and the evidence.
Reversed and a new trial ordered.
The economic poisons act, Laws of 1941, ch. 230, p. 726, was succeeded by Laws of 1961, ch. 244, p. 2086.
