Smith and Roberson's Business Law 16th Edition by Richard Mann,Barry Roberts

Exercise 10

Gardner owned a quantity of corn, which was contained in a corncrib located on Gardner's farm. On March 12, Gardner wrote a letter to Bassett stating that he would sell to Bassett all of the corn in this crib, which he estimated at between nine hundred and one thousand bushels, for $3.90 per bushel. Bassett received this letter on March 13 and immediately wrote and mailed on the same day a letter to Gardner stating that he would buy the corn. The corncrib and its contents were accidentally destroyed by fire that broke out about 3 A.M. on March 14.
a. What are the rights of the parties?
b. What difference, if any, in result if Gardner were a merchant?