| 1 | 1 | | By: Springer (Senate Sponsor - Duncan) H.C.R. No. 87 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2013; |
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| 3 | 3 | | May 6, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on |
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| 4 | 4 | | Administration; May 15, 2013, reported favorably by the following |
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| 5 | 5 | | vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 15, 2013, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The diversity of Texas agriculture is one of the |
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| 10 | 10 | | strengths of our economy, and over the years, the pumpkin has become |
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| 11 | 11 | | an important crop in the Lone Star State; and |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, A variety of squash that is native to North America, |
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| 13 | 13 | | the pumpkin can vary in size from one pound to over a thousand; |
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| 14 | 14 | | while pumpkins are usually orange or yellow, they are sometimes |
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| 15 | 15 | | also dark green, white, red, or gray; they are remarkable for their |
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| 16 | 16 | | durability, for they can be grown quickly and then stored for as |
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| 17 | 17 | | long as six months; pumpkins are capable of being cultivated on |
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| 18 | 18 | | every continent on earth except Antarctica; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, With its distinctive shape and lightly ribbed |
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| 20 | 20 | | surface, the pumpkin is especially associated with two holidays, |
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| 21 | 21 | | Halloween, when carved jack-o'-lanterns light up the front porches |
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| 22 | 22 | | of houses across America, and Thanksgiving, when no family feast is |
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| 23 | 23 | | complete without a slice of pumpkin pie; each year, 80 percent of |
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| 24 | 24 | | pumpkin sales occur in October; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Texans have long made great use of the pumpkin; |
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| 26 | 26 | | before refrigeration, ranchers relied on the hardy pumpkin to feed |
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| 27 | 27 | | their livestock during the winter months; once considered a cure |
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| 28 | 28 | | for freckles and snakebite, the pumpkin is now valued by |
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| 29 | 29 | | health-conscious Texans as a good source of vitamin A, potassium, |
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| 30 | 30 | | and fiber; in addition, Texas has become the fourth leading state in |
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| 31 | 31 | | commercial pumpkin production, growing between 15 and 20 million of |
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| 32 | 32 | | them annually, mostly in West Texas; pumpkins generate |
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| 33 | 33 | | approximately $10 million for the Texas economy every year; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, During a time when a majority of Texans are living in |
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| 35 | 35 | | cities, the pumpkin has begun to represent more than just |
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| 36 | 36 | | trick-or-treat or a favorite type of pie, and such distinctive |
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| 37 | 37 | | varieties of pumpkin as the Fairytale, the Caspar, and the Atlantic |
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| 38 | 38 | | Giant have come to be used by families to decorate their homes, |
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| 39 | 39 | | serving as welcome reminders of the Lone Star State's traditional |
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| 40 | 40 | | rural heritage; now, therefore, be it |
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| 41 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 42 | 42 | | hereby designate the pumpkin as the official State Squash of Texas. |
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| 43 | 43 | | * * * * * |
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