Curbing our pumpkin consumption habits

A pumpkin fungus is amung us.

Pumpkin pathologists say it's melting the rotund gourds down to a pile of slime in the fields. It means jack-o-lantern prices will likely go higher -- initially, a disaster but on second-thought perhaps a blessing in disguise.

As with so many of our consumer habits, our appetite for Halloween pumpkins is near-gluttonous. Thirty years ago, a family bought and carved a single jack-o-lantern. Today, front stoops are crowded with the things, many of which are carved with specially designed tools and lighted with cupcake-sized "pumpkin candles." Once again a nice little tradition has become a production.

Maybe premium prices will bring back a bit of moderation. But don't expect it. Halloween, like most other modern holidays, is about getting as much of a good thing as you can get. . .