October 30, 1998

     Pumpkins

Pumpkins, to most of us, are a symbol of autumn's harvest and the bounty it brings; they make people think about Halloween and Thanksgiving Day.

About 120 days after the planting of seeds, the pumpkins are ripe.  Since a pumpkin contains seeds, it is a fruit.  Both squashes and pumpkins belong to the gourd family, but, because no clear botanical distinction exists between the two, common usage determines the application of these names.

Pumpkins have hard fruit stems, are more or less spherical, orange when ripe, and are used for making pies, jack-o-lanterns, and as stock feed.  Different kinds of pumpkins and squashes were being grown throughout parts of North and South America when the first European explores came.  The pumpkin is probably a native of tropical America, based on the finding of seeds in ancient archaeological sites in Mexico.  Pumpkin remains have been found in Mexico dating from 7000 to 5500 B.C.