The pumpkin is actually a fruit, and is related to the cucumber, most commonly orange in colour when
ripe, that grows from a trailing vine. Pumpkins are a popular food, commonly eaten
cooked. Pumpkins are traditionally used to carve Jack-o'-lanterns for use as part of Halloween
celebrations. The pumpkin varies greatly in form, being sometimes nearly
globular, but more generally oblong or ovoid in shape. The rind is smooth and very variable in
colour. The larger kinds acquire a weight of 40 to 80 lb (18 to 36 kg) but smaller varieties are in vogue for garden
culture.
Today, pumpkins are well-known in English cottage gardens, and largely cultivated in continental Europe and North America. |
