General information and discussion about cultivating melons, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds.
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December 11, 2007 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 180
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1923 pumpkin seeds
Would seed from a 903 lb pumpkin saved
since 1923 in a sealed mason jar still be viable and germinate? Seed saved by this guys Grandmother who got the seed from Tumbridge Fair in Lyndhurst NJ in 1923 and saved in a sealed jar in her basement. Item 300181483623 on eBay if anyone is interested. I'm not bidding but members of T'Ville could let one person bid and share later Peter |
December 11, 2007 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: z7, Richmond VA
Posts: 187
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I cannot imagine someone having the resources, knowledge, or desire to produce a 900 lb pumpkin back in the '20s.
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December 11, 2007 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NY z5
Posts: 1,205
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I can, but I doubt that pumpkin seeds over 80 years old would still be viable unless they were kept in a freezer. I don't think being sealed in a jar in someone's basement is enough. Not something I'd spend money to find out, but there is bound to be a buyer somewhere who is curious enough to try it.
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December 11, 2007 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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Considering this was during the time of prohibition, (the eighteenth amendment 1920-1933) they must have had nothing else to do but grow large pumpkins.
If you will do the research you will find that after the ratification of the 21st amendment in 1933 by FDR on December 5th a decline in growing large pumpkins took place until after the end of WWII. After the Roswell UFO crash in 1947, an interest in large pumpkin growing began to arise after large pumpkins were found growing a year later at the crash site. It is said that one of the respondents to the crash site dropped some pumpkin seeds from a snack bag while cleaning up the site. Another story may be true that the alien its self had the snack bag and it was slapped from its hands while being shuffled off for further study and subsequent autopsy. These seeds sprouted a year later and the pumpkins were harvested by local’s scouring the site for UFO evidence. It seems as though all of the earlier seeds that were saved during the earlier mentioned prohibition period are of great value and should be purchased by someone of knowledge in genetics so the DNA can be extracted from them. This would in turn allow the original giant pumpkin seeds to be brought back into use, as the so called Roswell seeds are of and extraterrestrial origin due to the influence of the crash site and possible alien influence unknown to human kind at this time. The contents of this story are true as I imagine them to be and therefore hold no liability for any falsification that may be inserted into the previously mentioned context. Worth |
December 11, 2007 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NY z5
Posts: 1,205
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Worth, you been smokin' them pumpkin leaves again?
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December 11, 2007 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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Not lately, I just make up my own reality and answers to questions I like better than the truth.8)
In this way I am able to stay sane in the Topsy Turvy world we all live in. Drugs and alcohol would just dull reality or enhance it to the point of incomprehension depending on what the said drug may be. |
December 11, 2007 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 180
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LOL Thats great worth
But the jar contains a newspaper clipping from the Fair and mentions the pumpkin and it came second so there was a bigger one grown that year. But the "just if" part of sprouting even one seed might be interesting. Maybe that one seed that may sprout may grow a pumpkin plant that would produce pollen that could be crossed with some of these "monster" pumpkins grown today to grow a MONSTER PUMPKIN tomorrow? Inject new "genes" into the gene pool as well? Just thinking .... Peter |
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