Agriculturist status turns on income from land produce, not labour spent on cultivation of mango trees.

A person whose principal income came from mango trees was treated as an agriculturist under the Dekkhan Agriculturists' Relief Act, because the controlling test was whether the greater part of income is derived from the produce of the land, not the extent of labour or cultivation involved. The Court rejected the argument that full-grown trees requiring no personal cultivation take the owner outside the protected class. On that basis, the plaintiff was entitled to the Act's protection, and the matter proceeded on the suit mortgages with costs to follow the suit.

---

---

Issues: Whether a person whose principal income is derived from full-grown mango trees, with no personal cultivation, is an agriculturist within the meaning of the Dekkhan Agriculturists' Relief Act and thus entitled to its protection.

Analysis: The decisive test was held to be whether the income is derived from the produce of the land, not the amount of labour or attention bestowed on the trees. Once it was shown that the plaintiff derived the greater part of his income from the mango trees, the fact that the trees were full-grown and required no cultivation did not take him outside the class of agriculturists. The Court rejected the view that picking ripe fruit without other care deprived the owner of agriculturist status.

Conclusion: The plaintiff was held to be an agriculturist and entitled to the benefit of the Act.

Final Conclusion: The appeal succeeded and the matter was sent back for an account under the suit mortgages, with costs to follow the suit.

Ratio Decidendi: For the purpose of determining agriculturist status, the controlling consideration is whether the person derives the greater part of his income from the produce of the land, not the degree of labour or cultivation involved in obtaining that produce.

---