Again .....Dan -- Duncan McAlpine, Federal Way, WA m*@eskimo.com Why buy plants when you can grow them yourself.....? http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/ http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/pumkin.html
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- To: p*@athenet.net
- Subject: Re: ESTIMATING WEIGHT OF GIANT PUMPKINS
- From: d*@athenet.net (Dan Gardner)
- Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 22:00:40 -0500
Scanned text of information submitted via fax by Gus Saunders on 8/13/96.... OTTAWA-ST.LAWRENCE GROWERS c/o FARMER GUS's 7930 Bleeks Rd., RR 2, Ashton, Ontario KOA 1 BO Telephone (613) 838-5435 FAX (613) 838-2088 ESTIMATING WEIGHT OF GIANT PUMPKINS AND SQUASH by Leonard Stellpflug Since the tables for estimating weight of GIANT Pumpkins and Squash were published in 1991, I collected measurements for most of the largest fruit. The best estimates are with the OVER-THE-TOP method. This requires adding Circumference to the ground-to-ground over-the-top measurements in both directions. Enter Table 1 with the total INCHES to obtain the estimated weight in POUNDS. Bob Marcellus used his computer and obtained the following formula which fits the data as good as any curve I could draw thni the data: 2.76 Weight (pounds) = 0.0000795 x (inches) Table 2 gives estimates using only the Circumference (C) measurement. This method does not give good estimates for unusually high, low, long or short fruit. I find it useful to determine weight increases from day-to-day as I only do over-top measurements every 2 to 3 weeks. My previous theoretical formula begins to over-estimate in the 650 to 700 pound range. I could not adequately adjust the formula. Table 2 is from my best-fit formula of the historical data and is: 2.85 Weight (pounds) = 0.000445C + 15 The Circumference measurement is the largest circumference taken parallel to the ground at approximately the stem-blossom level. The Over-Top measurements are from ground4o-ground in both directions over the highest point of the fruit. The measurement must be taken straight down from the edges of the fruit. DO NOT follow the contour of the fruit to the ground. To illustrate the reliability of the estimates I used measurements for the 20 largest truft I have data for from 92, 93 and 94 (772 to 990 pounds). Both methods had 1 0 over and 1 0 under estimates. The estimates deviated from actual weight as follows: Accuracy Range Table 1 Table 2 (+-) (over the top) (Circumference) 0 to 5% 55% 20% 5 to 10% 40% 35% 10 to 15% 5% 20% The largest deviation was 13.9% with Table 1 and 29.3% with Table 2. >From fruit-to-fruit the major variable is average wall thickness. I challenge someone to invent a simple device (similar to a Stud finder, hardness tester, etc.) for estimating pumpkin wall thickness. Then we could develop a set of curves for various wall thicknesses. I encourage each weighoff site to assign'someone to measure as many truft as time permits. Send me the data and I will issue revised tables when sary. Leonard B. Stellpflug, 1925 Middle Road, Rush, NY, 14543 This chart was not updated after the 1995 Weighoff but will be in December '96. PUMPKIN WEIGHT ESTIMATES Leonard Stellpflug (December, 1994) TABLE 1: OVER-THE-TOP SUR LE DESSUS INCHES LBS POUNCE LBS 142 69 | 194 164 | 246 316 | 298 536 | 350 836 144 72 | 196 169 | 248 323 | 300 546 | 352 849 146 75 | 198 173 | 250 330 | 302 556 | 354 862 148 78 | 200 178 | 252 337 | 304 566 | 356 875 150 81 | 202 183 | 254 345 | 306 576 | 358 889 152 84 | 204 188 | 256 352 | 308 587 | 360 903 154 87 | 206 193 | 258 360 | 310 598 | 362 917 156 90 | 208 198 | 260 368 | 312 608 | 364 931 158 93 | 210 204 | 262 376 | 314 619 | 366 945 160 96 | 212 209 | 264 384 | 316 630 | 368 960 162 99 | 214 215 | 266 392 | 318 641 | 370 974 164 102 | 216 220 | 268 400 | 320 652 | 372 989 166 106 | 218 226 | 270 408 | 322 664 | 374 1003 168 110 | 220 232 | 272 417 | 324 675 | 376 1018 170 114 | 222 238 | 274 425 | 326 687 | 378 1033 172 118 | 224 244 | 276 434 | 328 698 | 380 1048 174 121 | 226 250 | 278 442 | 330 710 | 382 1063 176 125 | 228 256 | 280 451 | 332 722 | 384 1079 178 129 | 230 262 | 282 460 | 334 734 | 386 1095 180 133 | 232 269 | 284 469 | 336 746 | 388 1111 182 137 | 234 275 | 286 479 | 338 759 | 390 1127 184 141 | 236 282 | 288 488 | 340 771 | 392 1143 186 146 | 238 288 | 290 497 | 342 784 | 394 1159 188 150 | 240 295 | 292 507 | 344 797 | 396 1175 190 155 | 242 302 | 294 516 | 346 810 | 398 1191 192 159 | 244 309 | 296 526 | 348 823 | 400 1208 TABLE 2: CIRCUMFERENCE CIRCONFERENCE INCHES LBS POUNCE LBS 61 70 | 85 155 | 109 300 | 133 518 | 157 821 62 72 | 86 160 | 110 307 | 134 529 | 158 836 63 74 | 87 165 | 111 315 | 135 540 | 159 851 64 77 | 88 170 | 112 323 | 136 551 | 160 866 65 80 | 89 175 | 113 331 | 137 562 | 161 881 66 83 | 90 180 | 114 339 | 138 573 | 162 897 67 86 | 91 185 | 115 347 | 139 585 | 163 913 68 89 | 92 190 | 116 355 | 140 597 | 164 929 69 92 | 93 196 | 117 363 | 141 609 | 165 945 70 95 | 94 202 | 118 372 | 142 621 | 166 961 71 98 | 95 208 | 119 381 | 143 633 | 167 977 72 101 | 96 214 | 120 390 | 144 645 | 168 993 73 105 | 97 220 | 121 399 | 145 658 | 169 1010 74 109 | 98 226 | 122 408 | 146 671 | 170 1027 75 113 | 99 232 | 123 417 | 147 684 | 171 1044 76 117 | 100 238 | 124 426 | 148 697 | 172 1061 77 121 | 101 244 | 125 436 | 149 710 | 173 1078 78 125 | 102 251 | 126 446 | 150 723 | 174 1096 79 129 | 103 258 | 127 456 | 151 737 | 175 1114 80 133 | 104 265 | 128 466 | 152 751 | 176 1132 81 137 | 105 272 | 129 476 | 153 765 | 177 1150 82 141 | 106 279 | 130 486 | 154 779 | 178 1168 83 145 | 107 286 | 131 496 | 155 793 | 179 1187 84 150 | 108 293 | 132 507 | 156 807 | 180 1206
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