Gravenstein Apple

Three fresh designs will be issued on July 31, 1995, creating the fourth in Canada Post Corporation's definitive stamp series featuring Canadian fruit trees. The fruit-belt regions of Canada have always been considered ideal for growing delicious fresh produce. The Niagara valley in Ontario or the Okanagan in British Columbia are two popular examples. This year's unique harvest of apples, peaches, and nuts reveal the variety and sturdy result of Canadian farm ingenuity. The vigorous and fast maturing Gravenstein tree is one of the 10 most important apple cultivars in Canada. Its roots, however, can be found in northern Germany where the tree was reputedly discovered in the Duke of Augustinberg's garden in the mid-18th century. Other documentation has indicated that the Gravenstein may have come to North America from Italy or even Southern Tyrol in Austria in the 1820s. The Annapolis valley in Nova Scotia now produces the most Gravenstein apples. The fruit is roundish with a thin skin that is greenish-yellow to orange-yellow with light and dark red stripes. To taste, the flesh is firm, crip, aromatic and juicy. Apples are harvested from late September till early November.