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Article: Autumn's Bounty.(gourd family of pumpkins, squash and melons)
- Article from:
- The World and I
- Article date:
- November 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Originating mostly as vines in tropical and subtropical jungles, pumpkins, squashes, and their kin boast a variety and versatility that delight and amaze us.
Autumn would not be complete without fields of pumpkins and displays of jack-o'-lanterns in windows. From Halloween through Christmas, pumpkins are a distinctively American holiday tradition, begun by Pilgrims who discovered them in the corn and bean gardens of eastern tribes. The practical colonists added a few ingredients of their own and baked the pumpkin flesh into holiday pies. Years later, they carved the empty shells and inserted candles to add to the festive atmosphere.
Pumpkins represent ...