From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Georgia

I really dont know how to word this but here goes. Howard Dill had the patent on Atlantic Giant pumpkins. Did he basically create the Atlantic giant by growing regular field pumpkins and only keeping the biggest ones then keep on planting the seeds together from the biggest pumpkins. I mean were the Atlantic Giants basicaly huge field pumpkins at one time????? I dont know if ya know what I mean but if you do chime in. Maybe I drank too many beers last night but im curious.

7/10/2007 9:23:55 AM

Berlin,mi.(zuhlke2@hotmail.com)

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=132113
Here's some old post about it.

7/10/2007 9:57:33 AM

Georgia

Thanks Steve but im not too good on the old computer. How do I view that link I always try but just cant figure it out. Maybe someone with scomputer skills can fill me in.

7/10/2007 10:02:15 AM

Berlin,mi.(zuhlke2@hotmail.com)

hold down your left mouse button and drag it over the link. when it is highlighted click your right mouse button and copy. then left click your brouser window this should highlight it. then right click and paste. then hit enter. i hope this you can follow that. if not maybe someone can make it clearer for you.

7/10/2007 10:20:40 AM

Georgia

That worked Steve..Thanks man

7/10/2007 10:28:07 AM

The Garden State

Steve, the links that you provided were great, however I don't believe that they answer Jason's original question (unless I read right past it). Before 1976 what was Dill using to develop his line of pumpkins? What did he use to start this madness.

7/10/2007 1:39:46 PM

Berlin,mi.(zuhlke2@hotmail.com)

Let me do a little more looking Mudcat. i beleive the info is on this site somewhere. if not i have an idea of where to find it.

7/10/2007 2:08:34 PM

Berlin,mi.(zuhlke2@hotmail.com)

the april 2007 issue of the SNGPG news letter has a nice history in it. I don't have the email edition so i can't share it with you. i know someone on this site can find the info. give it time.

7/10/2007 2:22:42 PM

Berlin,mi.(zuhlke2@hotmail.com)

here's another link
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=19&p=101407
if you type howard dill in the site search window , it will keep you busy.

7/10/2007 2:53:05 PM

Georgia

Trust me Steve I used the search function and just gave up thanks for looking.

7/10/2007 3:51:16 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

The short answer to Jason's original question is "no", Howard did not use regular field pumpkins to create his Dill's Atlantic Giant" or the non-patented "Atlantic Giant".

Typical Halloween pumpkins are Cucurbita pepo which is a hard stemmed pumpkin.

Baking (sugar) pumpkins are also C. pepo.

Dill's AG isn't a pumpkin at all. It's a squash. Cucurbita Maxima is a soft stemmed squash.

7/10/2007 5:33:51 PM

North Smithfield, RI USA

During the fifties and sixties Howard Dill continiously crossed 2 varieties which his father had grown,,, Goderich Giant and Genuine mammoth ! From these crosses he produced the Atlantic Giant which he patented in the eighties!!!Tremor is right that they are basically squashes but any one of these which are orange in color are considered pumpkins. I believe Howard's patent has run out and today anybody can sell the seeds as Atlantic Giant. But Howard markets his as Dill's Atlantic Giants !

7/10/2007 8:47:42 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

I am more interested in knowing how the AG pumpkins relate to the prizewinners. Both are C. maxima but how did Burpee develop their seeds and why don't they produce such big pumpkins?

7/11/2007 1:10:48 AM

Georgia

Thanks for all the answers..very good stuff.

7/12/2007 8:01:02 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Prize Winners produce a prettier pumpkin most of the time. Atlantic Giants can throw some ugly fruit. We don't care we want size and weight. It is not no beauty contest. Prize winner is most likely planted more for commercial use. We have a hard time selling 400lb pumpkins. The smaller 100-175's go.

7/12/2007 1:27:13 PM

Minnesota

I kind of know, how, I ordered seeds from dill's this spring, when I called there, because it is in new brunswick it took longer than I thought, so when I called I talked to his daughter ( I'm such a stud)anyway, she said he was always looking for contests, some times driving to the united states, she said he won all the time, and he kept breeding them to where they are today, she also said he was about the only one who was searching out places where they had contests. They do have a number, you can call and hear it right from them.

7/12/2007 8:52:42 PM

Coupeville WA

fog,
Howard Dill actually lives in Windsor, Nova Scotia- not New Brunswick. I would encourage all growers to go for a visit. 2 summers ago I took my family in hopes of seeing his patch. As I drove up the driveway, we found him in his rocking chair on the front porch. He and his son Danny spent several hours showing us their farm, posing for pictures and signing books.
Funny though, I think his true passion in life is hockey. We spent more than an hour in the back rooms looking at all of his hockey collections, cards, programs etc...
This was truly a remarkable day.
I would encourage any serious grower to go for a visit and see where this whole thing started. I could see the twinkle in his eye as he pointed to the plot of land where he grew his first world record.

7/16/2007 1:31:31 AM

The Garden State

Been there, done that (about 11 years ago). Although I did not start trying to grow after that visit, the seed was planted in my mind and I started growing 3 years ago.

7/16/2007 12:08:56 PM