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Tuesday, October 01, 1996     Page:

Bear Creek grower wins pumpkin prize
   
Tony Ciliberto, 42, of Bear Creek Township won first prize for larges~t
pumpkin at the Bloomsburg Fair with his giant 643 pounderCiliberto, who has
been growing pumpkins for 20 years, is no stranger to competition. His largest
pumpkin ever weighed in at 845 pounds and got him sixth place in world
competition.
    “Genetics plays a big part,” says Ciliberto, “You have to have a good
seed.” Ciliberto used seeds known as Dill’s Atlantic Giants, named for
developer Howard Dill, who created the seeds in the 1960s. These seeds —
along with a lot of vine pruning, fertilizing and caring — helped the pumpkin
along with the growing process.
   
This year’s rainfall and low temperatures helped as well, according to
Ciliberto. “July was sort of cool,” he says, “They (the pumpkins) like it
around 75 degrees.”