Nix v. Hedden

Nix v. Hedden is a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1893. The case is notable for its ruling that, for the purposes of the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883, tomatoes should be classified as vegetables rather than fruits. The decision was based on the common usage of the terms "fruit" and "vegetable," rather than their botanical definitions.

Background[edit | edit source]

The case began when John Nix, John W. Nix, George W. Nix, and Frank W. Nix of the Nix family filed a suit against Edward L. Hedden, Collector of the Port of New York, to recover back duties paid under protest. They argued that tomatoes were a fruit and thus should not be subject to the vegetable tariff.

Court Proceedings[edit | edit source]

The case was heard by the Supreme Court in 1893. During the trial, both parties presented evidence to support their claims. The plaintiffs, the Nix family, brought dictionary definitions of the words "fruit" and "vegetable," which defined a fruit as the seed-bearing part of a plant and a vegetable as a plant or part of a plant used for food. The defendant, Edward L. Hedden, presented witnesses who testified that in trade and commerce, tomatoes were usually classified as vegetables.

Decision[edit | edit source]

Justice Horace Gray delivered the unanimous opinion of the Court. The Court ruled that while botanically, a tomato is indeed a fruit, in everyday language and commerce, it is considered a vegetable. Therefore, for the purposes of the Tariff Act, tomatoes were to be classified as vegetables.

Impact[edit | edit source]

The decision in Nix v. Hedden has been cited in several other court cases and legal decisions. It has also been referenced in discussions about the difference between scientific and common language definitions.

References[edit | edit source]

Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893)
Tariff Act of March 3, 1883, ch. 121, 22 Stat. 488
U.S. Supreme Court, Official Website

External Links[edit | edit source]

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