GREAT PUMPKIN COMMONWEALTH GROWS TO OVER 20 website
FOR 1996 WEIGHOFF TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 5
By Danny Dill
ontogeny of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth seems to be keeping pace with the
behemoth vegetables its competition are producing .
In 1995 , weighoffs were reserve at 19 Commonwealth situation , from Nova Scotia to
California , as growers glean their giant pumpkins and entered them in local
contests in hope of seize one of the top prizes in the international
competition .
Last yr ’s GPC grand champion was a 963 - pound U.S. record , originate by
of Lowville , N.Y. , which she
entered at the Ottawa site . Second place go to Geneva Emmons , Issaquah ,
Wash. , at 939 pound sterling ; and third space was 887 pounds , arise by Lorraine Orr ,
from Howick , Que .
In 1996 , grower will not only be desire to surpass the world record holder ,
but their attention will be focused on the elusive 1,000 - pound barrier . Herman
Bax , of Brockville , Ont . , literally claw at that plateau in 1994 , when he
grew aworld record pumpkinthat weighed in at 990 pound .
Until that disk was arrange , even the most enthusiastic agriculturist in the
international pumpkin patch expected it could take until the goal of the decennium
for the Dill ’s Atlantic Giant ( TM ) seeds develop by Howard Dill of Windsor ,
N.S. , to produce a 1,000 - muller . The 1993 criminal record was 884 pounds , grown by Don
Black , of Winthrop , N.Y. , but that was shattered in 1994 by Bax and three other
cultivator .
The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth was mastermind in 1993 with four sites . The
web grew to 14 locating in 1994 , and another five sites sign on for the
1995 weighoffs .
The Commonwealth stage $ 8,000 in prizes , in addition to those award at
local sites . First place winner shoot home $ 3,000 ; secondly , $ 2,000 ; third ,
$ 1,000 ; and fourth and 5th , $ 500 each . In addition to the Commonwealth grand
prize , the Nut Tree , Calif. , site offered the Great Guinness Award of $ 1,000 ,
if a raw universe record was set at any take part GPC site . That site also
offered to purchase the class ’s big pumpkin vine to be exhibited during weekend
in October .
The GPC also awarded $ 500 for the big squash entered , and $ 250 for the
second heavy ; $ 250 for the heaviest Citrullus vulgaris , and $ 100 for 2d .
The sideline of growing giant pumpkins has been around for more than 100 years ,
but soar to fresh top after Dill ’s years of research and selective
pollination afford the Modern seminal fluid variety that has produced earth record colossus
pumpkins for more than 16 years .
Anethum graveolens won his first title in 1979 with a weightiness of 438.5 pounds , but
that record has now more than doubled . Pumpkins grown by competitors are
weighed at item-by-item internet site to determine local or regional winners . The top
weightiness from each weighoff are then compiled to decide the overall winners .
For more information , please contact a GPC site near you regarding regional
or local prize and accolade , newssheet , growing entropy , rules and
regularization .
salutary wishes to all pumpkin growers in 1996 .
webmaster :
Textfile Courtesy of Al Kingsbury and Danny Dill
Last update : Fri Sep 06 10:30:00PM CST 1996
