In the early 1900’s feeding milk to pumpkins was a popular trend. The method was reported to result in huge prize winning pumpkins. The technique involved using fresh cow milk. The pumpkin grower would put about a quart of milk in a small bucket, place it on the ground and then cut a slit in the vine and insert a straw or rubber tube. The tube was then placed in the bucket. Another quart of milk was added each day until the pumpkin had reached its optimum size or the day of the Country Fair arrived…whichever came first!
Many growers reported that the vines liked the milk so much and became so used to their feeding schedule that they actually rustled their leaves when the person approached the plants with the milk!