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Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

Before pollination time comes, this perhaps is the time to get this controversial topic over long before it can begin. I suggest that any "squash" green fruits that will be grown this summer finally get the same treatment as the "non- squash" orange fruits. Time to throw away all the old {and various} rule books away, period. No more of this "% of color equals disqualified to enter as a pumpkin for competition" stuff. No more weigh offs with tension in the air and un pleasantry ruining the event. No more controversy flooding the general discussion boards here or in Mallorn's list. Let those who grow green and orange enter both together, and whatever one is the heaviest, no matter what color, wins... period.

I'm not a pro- green or pro- orange grower myself, nor are many who are growing {there are a few who are...G...I wonder who?}. I have yet to grow anything green, but if I ended up having one this year, I wouldn't treat that plant any different than the orange fruit producers. So why are the greenies treated differently at the weigh offs? Why are there these rules excluding them from competing them side by side with the others, and why does each site seem to have different rules outlining what can be entered to compete? I'm not trying to create problems here or make enemies, I'm trying to make sense of it all, maybe even open this up so those who can make a change finally do...if that is what everyone thinks is the best direction to go. Every fall all the fun of this hobby seem to get lost in all the controversy caused by this long time sensitive topic. Perhaps bringing it up long before there are problems will allow everyone to come to some kind of truce and end the color war. Discrimination based on the color of ones skin is wrong, except for competing at a weigh off site, then it's in the rules.

6/8/2004 9:07:16 AM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

If you do a lot of digging and research {more than just digging around in the AGGC} you'll find the AG's and the "squash" could not exist today without each other. Am I suggesting they are related, possibly even producing what todays genetics produce? F-1 hybrid stuff? Perhaps... perhaps not... "Madman tell you nothing... moooo haaa haaa haaa!" What the fruits pigment color ends up becoming at weigh off time shouldn't matter much, as they obviously are of the same genus, have the same traits, grow similarly, and are totally compatible when breeding. This is why I call to end the squash/ pumpkin war and thus change the name of "squash" to " green pumpkin" or even "squash pumpkin", and allow them to be entered with the orange and white pigment fruits starting this fall, and all contests from that point on. If this is to ever change, it won't happen around weigh off time or afterward when everyone is sore at each other. Now is the time, before anyone has anything {with whatever pigment color}.

Am I really asking much here? I really don't think so.

6/8/2004 9:07:34 AM

Utah

"Am I really asking much here? "
I think so ... but that's just my opinion. I like orange.

if you don't know my expanded thougths on the subject and want to read my them they posted here on BP somewhere... and I won't be posting anymore on this thread after this post.

It's all up to your weigh off committee, governing board, whatever you call it- the ones who make the rules. there are many different opinions. there always will be. contact them to express yours. - all are valid. not everyone will be happy no matter what the rules are! grow the best fruit you can regardless ... go to and support the weight off of your choice. Live by the rules that they have set up and be happy that you get to participate in this great hobby/sport.

6/8/2004 10:20:01 AM

[email protected]

Pumpkin = Cream or white to red & all shades of orange.

Mixed colors = Any combibation not related to cantelouping.

Squash = All green, blue or gray, or slightly combined? Where's Glenn? What about stripes? Dang....this isn't as easy as it sounds is it?

Here comes a long thread. LOL

6/8/2004 10:27:05 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

As you all might know from earlier threads I am in favour of a three category system - just like Steve suggested it in his last post.
Best wishes,
Martin

6/8/2004 4:02:15 PM

Wichita, KS

I like Marc's idea...ONE category for Atlantic Giant fruit. They are all Atlantic giants, right? Why get all prejudiced over the color of some fruit's skin?

I don't understand how it can be properly ruled when we all know that some squash look more orange than green, and some pumpkins look more green than orange. There is no objective way to determine it, so why keep the seperate categories when they all have the same genetic structure anyhow?

Don't be afraid to make hamburger out of the sacred cow.

One category: who grew the biggest Cuke?

6/8/2004 7:18:14 PM

Liverpool , England

Its apartheid. Ya cant stand next to man in the winners circle because of the colour of his AG's skin

6/8/2004 7:33:02 PM

Ohio

But,,,,,,, does a green Squash, and a orange pumpkin taste the same if u eat it?, if not its not the same, i dunno just a question from the newbie.
Sly

6/8/2004 9:42:35 PM

Rockford,il

Pumpkins are supposed to be orange,orange,orange.A green squash ,correction,a green pumpkin is against the laws of nature.By growing a green pumpkin we have upset the great pumpkin gods.That is why we are so troubled by SVB,cucumber beetles,droughts and all kinds of diseases that we have to treat with fungicides. Only by abolishing all green squampkins and trying to appease the pumpkin gods can we expect relief .Does anyone know of any virgins we can sacrifice.

6/9/2004 5:10:08 PM

Wichita, KS

definitely out of your gourd.

6/9/2004 5:58:50 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

"out of my ground",
according to your statement I suppose I am doing a quite good job for appeasing the pumpkin gods this year!
Check out my "orange" seed selection in my diary...
Best wishes,
Martin

6/9/2004 6:34:59 PM

Azores,terceira Island

i am new to ags but my whole life i have thought pumpkins are orange no matter the size

6/9/2004 8:14:35 PM

Colorado Hail, CO. Elev. 5,900 FT

All varieties of pumpkins are orange {I may be incorrect, if so, please correct me}... The Atlantic Giants are classified as pumpkins, and they too produce fruits of orange colors, but they also grow fruits with a wide range of different colors. Only when they grow anything with a green color, they are not classified as pumpkins, they are then "squash". I've never eaten any green fruits, so anyone who has might inform me what type of squash they taste like. That might be the reason they are named as such. Is this the reason? When were they classified as squash, who gave them that name, why, and please tell me what makes them different from Atlanic Giants other than just color. I might have grown something green long before now, as many others might have too if things were different. That is the problem... years go by, weigh offs go by, problems continue, people get upset, and nobody ever wins.

6/10/2004 1:17:38 AM

Indiana

they are all squash.......pumpkins are c. pepo

6/10/2004 1:26:11 AM

SE Qld Australia

well our astralian weighoff we didn't care about colour there was 1 squmpkin/squash but nobody cared about its colour as long as it's big its counted in both sections
it ended up winning anyway so who really cares

6/10/2004 5:12:06 AM