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Re: More on imminent Judgicide:

Chris Wilbers wrote regarding the different classifications of pumpkins

> This brings up a question I wondered about as I was at Topsfield last
> year and saw the various pumpkins on display:  What exactly is the
> definition of a FIELD PUMPKIN.  This designation was present on a number
> of pumpkins on display there.  How is a field pumpkin different from an
> Atlantic Giant...or put another way, why is an Atlantic Giant not a
> field pumpkin?
> 
> Regards, > Chris Wilbers > Sioux Falls, SD

Dear Chris:
	The term "field pumpkin" is very old, dating back to the Europeans' first
settlements in the New World.  They discovered these roundish, orange
squash growing in "Indian" fields.  Of course they stole these pumpkins and
killed the Indian farmers, which is an other story, but the idea of free
food growing in "the wild" stuck, as did the name pumpkin.
	The word pumpkin has latin origins - a name bestowed upon these fruits by
those first Europeans. Today we now know the entire squash family
(scientifically known as Curcurbita) originated in North America (which
includes Mezo America.) 	Most of the fruits called pumpkins are varieities
of C. pepo.  They are called Connecticut Feild, or Cornfield, or Conn.
Sweet Pie, or New England Field, New England Pie, Maryland Pie, etc. Later
these same pumpkins or slight variations were grown and sold by seed
companies as Jack-O-Lanters, Little Gem, etc.  The variety known as Howden,
which today accounts for a majority of the commerically grown pumpkins for
Halloween, is discribed as an improved Connecticut Field Pumpkin.  These
all have in common the same basic color, basic shape and a size from 15 lbs
and smaller.  This is why the 38 pound "Field Pumpkin" awarded a 1st prize,
instead of Denise Beck's Atlantic Giant, is so truely amazing - field
pumpkins don't usually - rarely if ever - get that big.
	The best part of this vegitable/history lesson  - if anyone is still
reading :) - concerns what the Indians did with their really big squash,
some roundish and organge and also called pumpkins by the first white men. 
These are the C. maxima squash, as in maximum size, like Atlantic Giants.
While the Indians might have allowed their field pumpkins to be stolen,
they fought very hard to protect their huge squash and the seed from which
they grew.  
	If an Indian female (the Native American farmer) grew a truely huge
squash, it brought her and her family great honor throughout the tribe. 
Imagine how many souls could make it through a cold hard winter if they had
just one of these huge squash.
	Local to my area is the story of a first settler who introduced a huge
squash which today carries his name, Hubbard. Ohio might be the only state
in the Union without an Indian reservation and no state worked so hard at
the job of genocide.  Eradication of the Indians' food supply played a big
role in that story.
	Today, those who compete to grow the largest pumpkins carry on a tradion
which is older than recorded history.  And, in the giant pumpkins we grow
today, exist genes which were first developed and cared for with the same
determination, hard back breaking labor, jealously guarded seed and farming
techniques, cross pollination experimentation, etc., etc., etc., we all
know so well.   When you go out to cut your Atlanic Giant from its vine,
take a moment to think about those little ladies who worked and fought so
hard to make theirs a gift to the future.
	So to answer your question, an Atlanic Giant pumpkin is scientificly
classified as Curcubita maxima and most Field Pumpkins are Curcubita pepo.
However, orange, roundish squash are also found in the C. mixta and C.
moschata families as well.  Go figure, the difference only makes sense to
plant scientists and breeders any way.

Michael in Akron

mcohill@neo.lrun.com
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