Message Board - BigPumpkins.com

seattle

I think it is
Ohio FRED CALAI Canfield 1056.5 02

10/7/2003 8:03:52 AM

Boehnke

Itzetown City

Life goes on, we write 2003. ;-)

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=51743

10/7/2003 8:34:52 AM

gordon

Utah

don't think the 1367.5 Rose is a squash... looks orange to me.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/DisplayPhoto.asp?pid=2569

10/7/2003 9:04:34 AM

How many of these were all green Squash & how many were DQ'ed greenish pumpkins? It seems Mike N. has announced his own color ruling for AGGC regardless of GPC standards. See Mallorn list for details.

Steve

10/7/2003 9:04:56 AM

Don Quijot

Caceres, mid west of Spain

In the truck picture, the 1367.5 doesn't luck as squash for me either.
Lool at the prices range in some contests. 1st prize pumpkin 2000 lbs, 1st prize squash 500. Do you believe is cheaper and easier get a 1367.5 squash than a 1370 pumpkin? No way, man. Money, money, money... (put music on the phrase when read it, please)

10/7/2003 9:33:49 AM

Carlos, See mu unqualified cooment in the GPC section. -Steve

10/7/2003 9:49:05 AM

Stouffville

I like your new category idea, steve. At least you're thinking up solutions to the current situation...cause the way this squash-pumpkin thing is currently being handled makes me shake my head. Some of the 'pumpkins' at topsfield look pretty green to me, especially compared with the 1367.5.

True squash have green females. It's pretty obvious that the 1367.5 didn't have a green female blossom.

And in the end they are all maximas which are typically called squash by consumers.

mike

10/7/2003 10:15:36 AM

MR. T. (team T)

Nova Scotia

jammerama is right they are all maximas no matter what the color. i think they should be in the same competetions (thus increasing prize money for more places and amounts). would you not permit a white man to play basketball, or a black man to play hockey? they are the same homosapion just a differrent hue.

10/7/2003 10:28:40 AM

BenDB

Key West, FL

990 Hebb is the world record squash.

10/7/2003 10:59:47 AM

Stouffville

so what are the 1056 calai and the 1064 mombert called?

10/7/2003 11:17:53 AM

Ob boy. I jusy knew I'd end up on my soap box with this one. Why did I have to get involved in this? LOL

That would solve the problem too I guess. One competition for all fruit of all color.....hmmmm.......just don't visit the poultry exhibit at Topsfield with that logic & try to impose this new rule on them....Gallus domesticus is the common Chicken. In this group are about 175 varieties grouped into 12 classes of about 60 breeds. I have an uncle who used to breed Bantams. I don't claim to be an expert nor even well versed in poultry. Yet I have no problem identifying the differences between a Bantam & a Rhode Island Red. Neither do the judges. Nor the exhibitors. Nor even the spectators. Yet they are all Gallus domesticus no matter how we dice them. Shall we judge them in a single group too just because it's easier? Good luck.

The same applies to Roses, Mums, Dahlias, etc....shall we make it easy & just toss them all on a scale to remove objectivity & artistic beauty from the judging?

continued

10/7/2003 11:34:42 AM

Whether by geographic seperation or by chance or by intentional domestic breeding efforts, all the living things on this planet can & have been "bred" to a standard of some sort. Even us. How & why isn't important to the case & would further confuse the issue.

No matter how badly it may offend the NAACP we continue to make decisions that may either perpetuate the devisional lines of variety or blur them every single day. Do we not seek the most attractive (physically or other in our own eyes) partner to marry?

In the case of Giant Pumpkins/Squash, we do so strictly for our own entertainment. Because Lord knows, we don't breed Atlantic Giants for consumption or an other similar noble cause.

If color & shape are of no concern to Atlantic Giant growers, then just send me all your 846 Calai seeds & I'll send out an equal number of my green & cream white culled seeds that I saved for some unkown reason.

My only point here is to offer a solution to those who would prefer to raise deep orangey red giant pumpkins, but might forsake size to do it. Then they can still be in the same arena as the Green Squash growers who may also forsake size to do it. And for those of us who care not of the color but only want to raise the biggest honkin' vegetable on the planet, the "Squmpkin" category is still an open category if we land on or near the fence. Without fear of retribution or false consequence to the other growers.

Howard introduced Squashy genetics to produce the AG. It is my belief that we can & should acknowledge this & deal with it in a manner that least penalizes the majority of growers.

Steve

10/7/2003 11:34:57 AM

gordon

Utah

pumpkins are by definition orange. this has nothing to do with black and/or white men or women- (you excluded women!- how dare you-) playing sports.

10/7/2003 11:56:19 AM

gordon

Utah

at thanksgiving point a 95% orange fruit ( in my humble opinon) was judged to be a squash... and guess what?
it took 1st place in the squash division... so it cuts both ways.

10/7/2003 11:58:08 AM

owen o

Knopp, Germany

good thing i'm color blind. they're all pumpkins/squash to me......

10/7/2003 12:01:06 PM

Stouffville

why is a golden hubbard squash called a squash then g1t? it's an orange maxima, just like the 1020 Papez for instance

10/7/2003 12:09:11 PM

Stouffville

where did the 'definition' of squash and pumpkins actually originate?

10/7/2003 12:47:40 PM

basebell6 (christy)

Massillon, Ohio

this pumpkin/squash thing/debate will never ever be agreed upon and i dont get why we think it will be solved someday......and about jerry's: the judges in ohio all agreed and felt they did the right thing from what i heard (i was standing there when the guys were deciding)

10/7/2003 3:05:42 PM

southern

Appalachian Mtns.

Squash, real ones, are deep green, blue, or gray. The rules suck, it should be true or nothing.

10/7/2003 5:35:52 PM

Rancherlee

Eveleth MN

well all the "mutts" need to fall into one catagory or another. Maybe a Squashkin class for the gray area pumpkins or squash? I've been absorbing any and all information for next year, since it will be my first with AG's , and all this wieghing season stuff has me scratching my head.

10/7/2003 6:17:21 PM

BenDB

Key West, FL

Why have a squimpkin class? They are pumpkins with green cantaloping.

10/7/2003 6:30:52 PM

Pumpkin_lover

Wroclaw, Poland (51 N, 17 E)

Could you tell me wich of the pumpkins on this photo http://www.bigpumpkins.com/DisplayPhoto.asp?pid=2569 is the squash? I just can't see any squashes there.

If the one on the left of down, right corner is squash, my 154lbs Pumpkin is also a squash. It is all yellow-white with the part near the stem (whole "wall") is green

10/7/2003 6:41:04 PM

seattle

This may be out of date... this was per a newsletter Sept 2000.

Is it a Pumpkin or Squash?

Over the last two weigh-off seasons there has been much talk and some controversy over whether a specimen is pumpkin or a squash. Rule number 6 of the GPC weigh-off rules States “To be eligible for the heaviest pumpkin, the entry must be a minimum of 75% white to cream-yellow to orange in color, all others will be considered squash. Common sense and good judgment is required here since there is no precise way to determine the above. A majority decision of the judges is required and is final.”
Two years ago the Pacific Northwest Giant Pumpkin Growers formed a Rules committee to address problems like the pumpkin, Squash controversy. In an effort to make determining if a specimen is a pumpkin or a squash, more precise and to establish a method to be incorporated into a rule before the weigh offs. The rules committee has came up with a method to be included in rule number 4 of the Pacific Northwest Giant Pumpkin Grower’s site Rules for this coming season. Note: This will be a tool for the judges to use in their determining a pumpkin or squash. Again this is a Pacific Northwest Giant pumpkin Grower’s site Rule only. Please read both the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Contest Rules (GPC) and the Pacific Northwest Giant Pumpkin Grower’s site Rules. Both are included in this newsletter.

Please look over the verbal and visual explanations of the new tool for helping the site judges determine if a specimen is a pumpkin or squash. See page 7 and 8

10/7/2003 6:46:33 PM

seattle

..............
To Determine if a Specimen is a Pumpkin or Squash
..............

A plastic transparent grid divided into ten 2” squares will be placed on the specimen in seven locations.
Two lines using string and tape shall be established on the specimen for placement of the grid. One line shall be established around the circumference, stem to blossom 12” from the ground. The other shall be over the top of the specimen, stem to blossom. See diagram.
The grid shall be placed on the string lines in seven locations. The locations are as follows: at the stem, 6” to either side, at the blossom 6” from either side, on each side approximately halfway between the stem and blossom, and on the top of the specimen halfway between the stem and blossom. See picture diagram on page 8.
To determine:
Inside each of the ten squares it will be determined whether the specimen is white to cream yellow to orange or gray to green. A percentage of white to cream yellow to orange will be determined from 0 to 100%. Example: 5 of 10 squares would be 50%, etc. The total percentage at all seven sites will be added and divided by 7 and a total color of white to cream yellow to orange will be determined for the specimen. If that percentage is 75% or greater, it will be classified as a pumpkin. If it is less than 75% it will be classified as a squash.

Should I post a link?

10/7/2003 6:46:58 PM

Were any of these "plastic transparent grid divided into ten 2” squares" in use at the weigh-ins in question?

If so, then who can argue? But then rule #12 negates debate anyway.

10/7/2003 9:06:47 PM

BenDB

Key West, FL

The debate isn't over if the pumpkin was 24% green or 90% green. It's still a pumpkin and not a squash.

10/7/2003 9:08:19 PM