Re: Three Classifications........
Ah, a purist. You want all the pumpkins to be a pretty orange with a
perfect shape. I agree, that would be great. But many large pumpkins are
ugly. Very ugly. All this sport cares about is how heavy a pumpkin is.
True, many vie for a pumpkin that is a great color and shape, but there is
little money in a contest for pretty. It is be heavy, or go home a loser.
Contests are geared for the grower to produce heavy pumpkins. When one
looks at a seed they see the weight, and the grower. Sure, if two seeds
come from parents close in weight, one would plant a seed that came from the
prettier parent, but I would the majority would rather plant and ugly, half
purple and red "pumpkin" and a perfect orange 700 lber
Greg
----Original Message Follows----
From: "George Webster" <PumpkinDude@sbcglobal.net>
Reply-To: pumpkins@hort.net
To: <pumpkins@hort.net>
Subject: Three Classifications........
Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 11:20:09 -0800
List,
Every year at weigh-off time the same question arises.....
Is it a squash, or is it a pumpkin ?
We see growers getting justifiably upset when they miss out
on some prize money because their "obviously orange" pumpkin
gets beat out by a fruit that is showing a lot of green surface
coloration (mottled, canaloped or webbed)..... many of us would
not classify these as orange pumpkins.
ON THE OTHER HAND......the growers who show up with a true
"green skinned" squash don't want this mottled fruit taking their
prize money either......and justifiably so, because its not really
a "squash".
Seems to me that we need a "Third Classification".
I have heard of these "in-between" fruit referred to as squashkins
or squampkins....wow, what horrible names.....if someone told me that
I had a squashkin growing in my patch, I would go out and beat it with
a stick. If the pumpkin community ever decides on a third classification
it should choose a name for the fruit that at least sounds positive.
For example, if some came to my patch and told me I had a nice "middy"
growing
there, I might feel good about that. Call it a middy, call it a globe or a
moon...... the term squashkin has gotta go. (Middy being mid-way between a
pumpkin and a squash).
Of course if there was a third classification, this would affect how the
entire prize purse is distributed. I think I'll save that topic for another
post.
Regardless of how many "classes" we have the final call is still in the
hands
of the judges......but it sure seems like we need to change something soon.
Just tossin' out some ideas as food for thoutht.
George Webster
Napa, Ca
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