From Pumped-up pumpkin crop –
Near-perfect weather this summer allowed farmers to grow a plentiful supply of gourds, Buffalo News, Oct. 21.
“New York’s pumpkins are plentiful.
“That’s what state agriculture experts and local farmers are saying, just one year after a wet summer made for a spooky climate for last fall’s pumpkins. …
“‘We were pretty close to having almost ideal conditions,’ said Stephen Reiners, associate professor of horticulture at Cornell University. ‘[It was] much better this year. They’ve been such good size, good color, [it’s been a] good yield.’
“Last summer’s heavy rains and cool, cloudy weather created a bad climate for pollination, which Reiners said is key to pumpkin growth.”