American Chestnut

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 Peninsula in Ontario or the Okanagan Valley 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. Although it is indigenous to eastern North America, the American chestnut is an increasingly rate sight in the deciduous forests of southern Ontario. Once a mighty tree of great commercial importance at the turn of the 20th century, the species was ravaged by a foreign fungus disease called Chestnut blight that killed all but a small percentage of trees in Canada and the United States within three decades. Distinguished by its sturdy timber and sweet, glossy brown nuts, the tree has survived to modern day through its roots suckers which sometimes bear seed before they die. Through research at the University of Guelph in Ontario, efforts are being made to save this majestic tree. Although many varieties of chestnut are edible, it is important to note that some, such as the horse chestnut, are not.